


Who Are You?

by QueenAlicorn



Category: Horror Movies - Fandom, MASH (TV), Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adorable Kwamis, Adorable Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Adrien Agreste Knows, Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois Friendship, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Acts Like a Cat, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrinette, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Angry Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Angst and Feels, Arguing, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bodyguard, Cataclysm | Cat Miraculous Superpower, Cheese, Chloé Bourgeois Being Chloé Bourgeois, Chloé Bourgeois Needs a Hug, Crime Fighting, Dates, Dating, Denial of Feelings, Designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Doctor - Freeform, Doctors, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fashion & Couture, Fashion Show, Feel-good, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Feels, Fencing, Fighting, Fights, Freddy - Freeform, Freddy Krueger - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Halloween, Hawk Moth - Freeform, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Hawkeye - Freeform, Heart-to-Heart, Heartache, Heartbeats, Heartbreak, Heartbreaking, Horror, Horror Icons, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, IT - Freeform, Ice Cream, Jason Voorhees - Freeform, Kwami Swap, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, M.A.S.H, M.A.S.H., Male-Female Friendship, Marichat, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Masks, Masquerade, Mentioned Luka Couffaine, Mentioned Pennywise (IT), Mentioned Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Mentioned Plagg and Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Mentioned Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Michael - Freeform, Michael Myers - Freeform, Military, Minor Plagg/Tikki, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, Model, Model Adrien Agreste, Model Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Modeling, Movie: Friday the 13th (1980), Music, Nightmare On Elm Street - Freeform, Ninya, Original Kwamis, Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Cares (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Is So Done (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Loves Cheese (Miraculous Ladybug), Platonic to Romantic, Poor Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Luka Couffaine, Protective Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Romantic Friendship, Sassy Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Scary, Scary Clowns, Scary Movie, Scary Movies, Secrets, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Supportive Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Supportive Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Surgeons, Tikki Knows (Miraculous Ladybug), Tikki Loves Cookies (Miraculous Ladybug), Unhelpful Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Voorhees, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, date, fashion - Freeform, feel, fight, friend, friends - Freeform, horror movie, horror movies, jason - Freeform, krueger - Freeform, ladrien, luka couffaine/Chloe bourgeois - Freeform, myers - Freeform, no more secrets, pennywise - Freeform, pierce - Freeform, scary movie icons, secret, show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 65,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22874170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenAlicorn/pseuds/QueenAlicorn
Summary: Cat noir/ Adrien is really anxious to find out who Ladybug is. And he gets frustrated and gets mad at his friends. What will happen if Marinette gets akumatized? Then how can she turn into Ladybug to save the day? I guess she won’t.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien/Ladybug, Adrien/Marinette, Cat Noir/Ladybug, cat noir/marinette
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, or it's characters.

Chapter 1,

Adrian had to rush home. He had a photo shoot, and completely forgot his fencing sword for class. His bodyguard was an animal on the road, but he still couldn't control traffic. There was a jam, and Adrian looked out the window and saw the rows of cars. He sighed in disappointment, and he slumped down in his seat.

"Cheer up, man." Adrian's kwami, Plagg said and Adrian rolled his eyes.

"You don't get it Plagg, if I don't get to practice in time, then father won't let me go to Nino's party." Adrian said and Plagg shrugged.

"So what, Nino will understand." Plagg said and Adrian shook his head.

"I hate it when father does this to me. I make one little mistake, and I get locked away." Adrian said and Plagg hesitated and looked out the window.

"Well look on the bright side, there is a cheese store right next to that party store. I think they have a sale on wonderful, wonderful Camembert." Plagg said and Adrian rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Maybe you don't think with your stomach. Maybe your brain is in your stomach." Adrian said and Plagg stuck his tongue out at him.

"Real mature, Plagg. How about this. Help me get to practice in time, and I'll take you to the store for the Camembert sale." Adrian said looking out the window, and he saw the party store. The window was decked out in a bunch of Ladybug party favors, and Adrian stared at it.

"Uh, Adrian?" Plagg said, but Adrian didn't hear him. He was staring at the beautiful face of his bugaboo. He looked into her artificial eyes, and fake smile, and he just swooned. Until the car moved.

"Oh." Adrian partly wanted to stay and stare at her picture a bit more, but he knew that he needed to leave. Fencing practice and all.

"Still obsessed with Ladybug?" Plagg asked and Adrian sighed.

"I'm in love with her." Adrian said, and Plagg groaned.

"Pa-lease, you don't even know who she really is." Plagg said and Adrian smiled.

"That's where your wrong, Plagg. I feel as if I know her more then I know myself." Adrian said.

"But you don't know her secret identity." Plagg said and Adrian blinked.

"Well, no. But it's only a matter of time before we learn who we are, and start dating and get married and-"

"Hold it kitty! I don't need to hear this speech again." Plagg said, putting his hands over his ears, and Adrian rolled his eyes.

"You have never been in love, have you Plagg?" Adrian asked and Plagg huffed.

"For your information, I happen to have a deep and devoted relationship to Camembert." Plagg said and Adrian chuckled quietly.

"Oh come on, Plagg. Wasn't there some kwami you just loved to be around?" Adrian asked and Plagg thought about this.

"I don't know, really. The only kwami I really hang out with is Tikki, but we aren't romantic with each other." Plagg said and Adrian nodded.

"Well, maybe it would be nice if you two could spend some time together." Adrian suggested and Plagg shook his head.

"No can do, hotshot. Even if we did like each other, we can't just spend time together." Plagg said and Adrian blinked.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because it's just not practical. I spend all my time with you, just in case you need to be Cat Noir. And Tikki is spending all of her time with Ladybug." Plagg said and Adrian blinked.

"Ladybug's kwami?" Adrian repeated as if he finally figured something out.

"Yeah, and sure I could risk your safety and go to her, but I don't wanna fly that far. And she won't have Camembert, and she'll nag me to death with her 'blah, blah, blah, you're dooming us all again.' Speech." Plagg said and Adrian glanced down.

"So you know how to find Tikki?" Adrian said and Plagg scoffed.

"Well, yeah. I can contact Tikki, like Cat Noir can contact Ladybug." Plagg said and Adrian leaned forward.

"If you can find Tikki, then you can find Ladybug. So that means you can help me woo her." Adrian said and Plagg hesitated.

"Oh, I don't know about that." Plagg said and Adrian bit his lip.

"Come on Plagg, she is the love of my life, and if I don't get my fair shot, then I will go crazy." Adrian said and suddenly the car stopped.

"Hurry up and get your sword." His bodyguard said, and Adrian looked at the building.

"We aren't done with this." Adrian said, getting annoyed and rushing to his room to grab his fencing sword.

"Phew, after practice he'll be too tired to bug me about Ladybug. Which is good because I don't know how he would react when he finds out that Marinette is Ladybug." Plagg said to himself, and then he glanced around.

"Who am I talking to? Oh well, time for Camembert." Plagg said diving into the limo's minibar and pulling out a container of his favorite cheese.

"Man, that cat. Does he really think that I won't find out who Ladybug is?" Adrian said, grabbing the sword from his room and leaving.

"I give him a lot of freedom, and I ask him for one little thing, and he can't help me?" Adrian said, getting frustrated, but he quickly took a few deep breaths. After all, he didn't want to be akumatized. After all, what would Ladybug do if he couldn't help out. Then again when Chloe's mother got akumatized, she turned into Style Queen. She turned Adrian into glitter and he would have crumbled away. Ladybug managed to save the day by herself, and someone told her that he lost his miraculous. But who-

"Plagg." Adrian said out loud. That cheese-loving, good-for-nothing must have told Ladybug that lie. Probably to hide his identity, but still. Ladybug knows that he is trustworthy, because he doesn't lie to her. Adrian got back into the limo and he heard the sound of soft snoring. Noticing that the door to the minibar was ajar, he opened it and saw Plagg sleeping happily in a Camembert box.

"Heh, sleep tight buddy." Adrian said, feeling some of his annoyance fading away. His bodyguard slammed his foot down and the car took off like a speeding bullet.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 2,

Marinette was lucky tin make the fencing team. Granted she was still learning, but she had great reflexes. But then again, she kinda needs to, if she was going to survive as Ladybug. It was bad enough to fight all of Hawk Moth's victims, but every once in a while, she had to fight Cat Noir. It wasn't easy being Ladybug, because she still wanted to live a normal life like every other girl. A life where she can get married to Adrian and become a world famous fashion designer. But she still had to save Paris and go to school in her time.

"Come on, places people, line up." The Fencing instructor, Armand D'Argencourt said and Marinette smiled at how modern he was becoming. She still remembers when Mister D'Argencourt was akumatized and turned into Dark Blade. He still likes to speak in old English, but he wanted to at least try to sound from the 21st Century.

But then when everyone lined up, Marinette got a good look at who all was there, and she failed to see her beloved.

"Excuse me, Mr. D'Argencourt." Marinette said with the simple raising of her hand.

"Thy madam may speak." Answered the fencing instructor.

"Well, Um, I don't see Adrian here yet. Has anyone seen him today?" Marinette asked the other students and it was met with a bunch of shrugging shoulders and shaking heads.

"Perhaps it is better for us to proceed with class. It is not fair for the other students to wait for Adrian." Kagami Tsurugi said. She was probably the only fencing student that matched Adrian's skill.

"Perhaps thy has a point." D'Argencourt said and Marinette blinked at this. She thought Kagami would at least be on her side, since her and Adrian tend to pair up quite frequently.

"Oh come on, we all know Adrian doesn't miss class unless something is wrong." Marinette said and a few people nodded.

"Regardless, he isn't here and it's time to pair up." Kagami said and Marinette but her lip to contain her annoyance.

"At least let me call him first to make sure everything is ok." Marinette said and D'Argencourt sighed.

"Thou will do what thy will." He said, giving her permission and Marinette smiled. She was walking to the locker room to get her phone, when Adrian rushed into the building.

"Ah, there he is." D'Argencourt said and Adrian rose an eyebrow at this speech pattern.

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot... my..." Adrian panted as he held up his sword and Marinette sighed in relief to see him there. She was almost worried that his father banned him from school again.

"Very well, good sir, you can change your dressings swiftly and join the rest of thy class." Mr. D'Argencourt said and Adrian nodded and ran to the locker room.

"As for the rest of you, pair up." Marinette heard, but she watched as the handsome boy ran off to change, when she turned back, she saw Kagami staring at her and Marinette bit her lip. It hasn't really been the same since that day in the ice rink. When Kagami skated past her and said, 'the only reason you can't stay on your feet is your hesitation. I never hesitate.' And then she took Adrian from her. Marinette wanted to remain positive and say that this was simple constructive criticism. But deep down she could still remember how upset this made her feel. She left the ice rink, leaving behind Adrian with Kagami, a girl who really could make him happy. The odd thing was that was the only date the two went on. Perhaps Kagami blames her for crashing their date. It's not like Marinette wanted to be there, she only went because Adrian asked her to. So why would Kagami hold such a grudge against her? But then again, she was a nice girl and she is wonderful at fencing, and she is still Adrian's friend; perhaps Marinette should make more of an effort to be Kagami's friend too.

"Hey, Kagami." Marinette said walking over to her.

"Yes." She simply said.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could pair up today. And then later we can go to my parent's bakery for a snack." Marinette offered and Kagami stared at her for a moment. But then that moment was gone. Kagami pursed her lips and put on her fencing helmet.

"I only practice with the best, that was I can become better." Kagami stayed and she turned her back to Marinette.

"And besides, why should one waste their life and youth eating sweets?" Kagami said and then she walked away, leaving Marinette to feel pretty lousy. She put on her helmet and walked over to the first available person she found.

In the locker room, Adrian looked at his Kwami and smiled.

"I have a nice unopened container of Camembert for my favorite little kitty." Adrian said holding it up and Plagg jumped from the bag and hugged the smelly box.

"Oh, my delicious runny beauty." Plagg exclaimed and Adrian pulled the box out of Plagg's hands.

"Ah, ah, ah." Adrian chided him and Plagg's lower lip trembled.

"Why would you tease me so?" Plagg asks and Adrian rolled his eyes.

"First you need to tell me how to find Ladybug." Adrian said and Plagg sighed.

"Dude, you have a one track mind." Plagg said and Adrian groaned.

"When it's about love it's ok to have a one track mind." Adrian said and Plagg pretended to throw up.

"Ew gross, why would you say something like that?" Plagg said.

"Plagg tell me how to find Ladybug?" Adrian ordered and Plagg blinked.

"Are you ordering me around? What happened to the Adrian who let me leave the house without permission, or warning?" Plagg said and Adrian narrowed his eyes.

"Plagg, you're my friend, but friends help each other out and I need you here." Adrian said and Plagg sighed.

"Listen Adrian, I understand where you're coming from, I really do. But you have got to understand that what you're asking me, isn't right." Plagg said and Adrian blinked.

"You just don't want to tell me." Adrian said and Plagg lowered his head.

"Adrian, it is impossible. Besides Ladybug doesn't want you to know who she is." Plagg said and Adrian scoffed.

"That's because she is worrie about Hawk Moth finding out who she is and putting her family and friends in danger. But if we could be completely honestly with each other then we can be together." Adrian said and Plagg was getting frustrated at the fact that Adrian wasn't listening to him.

"Well, maybe you just can't stand the thought that maybe Ladybug doesn't like you, doesn't want to be with you, and will never love you!" Plagg shouted and Adrian took a step back in surprise.

"You don't know what you're talking about Plagg, you don't even know Ladybug." Adrian said and Plagg hissed.

"I know her better then you do, buddy-boy." Plagg said.

"And what makes you say that?" Adrian asked, crossing his arms.

"Because I've seen her without her disguise!" Plagg shouted and then immediately covered his mouth.

"What?" Adrian asked, taking a step towards the nervous Kwami.

"I-I... well, I don't think that came out right." Plagg said and Adrian grabbed the tiny creature in his hands.

"Are you telling me that you knew who Ladybug was this whole time?" Adrian asked and Plagg gasped at this sudden reaction

"No-no, not the whole time." Plagg uttered and Adrian was getting so angry that it was taking all of his strength to not squeeze the Kwami.

"Then what?" Adrian said and Plagg was starting to get scared.

"Do you remember when you and Ladybug fought Dark Owl?" Plagg said and Adrian blinked slowly.

"Yeah, our principal wanted to be a superhero and then got embarrassed and turned into the Dark Owl" Adrian said and Plagg nodded.

"And remember what happened while you were fighting him?" Plagg asked and Adrian let go of Plagg.

"Actually, now that you mention it... I do. Ladybug told me to close my eyes and we both transformed back into our normal selfs. She gave Dark Owl fake miraculous', and gave you food to recharge your powers. I guess you saw her then." Adrian said and Plagg nodded. But Adrian was still upset. He could feel a long forgotten chest of anger he had hidden away, rising up, higher and higher, until-

"AHH!" Adrian shouted and he punched his locker, leaving a noticeable dent in the metal.

"Adrian, I've never seen you like this. Are you ok? Plagg asked and Adrian held up his hand up to the Kwami's face.

"Don't talk to me." Adrian said and Plagg knew that Adrian needed a minute to adjust to this news so the sad little Kwami flew through Adrian's buster locker.

And in the silence Adrian changed and focused in on the area he was in. Somehow this simple room that he had been in a million times seemed different, as if the very air was thicker. Adrian could faintly hear the sound of fencing swords clashing and slashing. But also, there was something else.

"Adri-kins!" Adrian recognized that voice anywhere. Therefore it was no surprise when Chloe stormed into the room and hugged her oldest friend.

"You will not believe the surprise that I've got for you." Chloe sang cheerfully and Adrian sighed.

"Actually, Chloe, I'm not really in the mood for-"

"My parents are doing a fashion show at my father's hotel, and after some discussion with those idiots at the modeling agency, they are gonna have me model the clothes." Chloe said and Adrian walked past her.

"Sounds great Chloe, I hope you have fun." Adrian said and Chloe clapped her hands.

"I didn't even tell you the best part." Chloe said and Adrian sighed.

"What's the best part?" He reluctantly asked.

"The best part is that there is only going to be two models. You and me." Chloe said and Adrian turned around.

"You can't have a fashion show with just two models, but Chloe waved him off.

"You can when your father is the mayor of all Paris. Now what do you say for me getting you such a sweet gig?" Chloe leaned in close, and Adrian's anger got more intense.

"Why would you do this to me without asking?" Adrian asked and Chloe blinked.

"What? I thought that you would be over the moon. Come one and tell me what a good friend I am." Chloe said and Adrian glared at her.

" 'good friend'? Well, a good friend would ask me if I wanted to do all that extra work, but instead you're just ordering me around like you order everyone else around. I don't even think I am your friend anymore." Adrian said and Chloe looked hurt.

"Of course we're friends. We're the best of friends Adri-kins, remember? You pinky-swore to be my friend forever." Chloe said, holding up her pinky to prove her point.

"Chloe... grow up." Adrian said and then he stormed out of the room, which got Marinette's attention. She called a timeout to her partner, and she ran over to him.

"Adrian, you ok?" Marinette asked, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately for her, Adrian was feeling defensive, and he elbowed her in the stomach, and hit the front of her helmet. Marinette hit the floor with a crash and her helmet flew off. When she looked up, she saw Adrian pointing his sword at her.

"Oh, it's you." He said disgusted to see her.

"I guess I startled you, I'm sorry." Marinette said and Adrian groaned.

"Or maybe I don't like being stalked by obsessive fans. You can't just go around following people, Marinette. Don't you agree?" Adrian said and Marinette was shocked by his behavior. Adrian reached his hand out to her, and she took it. But Adrian almost dislocated her shoulder when he yanked her up to her feet.

"Perhaps I should make one thing very clear." Adrian whispered and he squeezed Marinette's hand.

"O-ow, Adrian that hurts." Marinette complained, but Adrian only squeezed harder.

"I am sick of being a pawn in everyone's games. I can control my own destiny and choose who to love and they will love me back. So either back off and stay away from me, or I will get a restraining order." Adrian finally let go of Marinette and walked away.

Deep down, he knew Marinette was only trying to help, but he was blinded by anger to see that. Adrian felt lied to, cheated, and used, and Marinette was at the wrong place at the wrong time. And speaking of Marinette, she did her best to compose herself. She told the teacher that she didn't feel well, and went home.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 3,

A strong emotional wave washed over Hawk Moth as the window opened. He smiled widely at all of the pain and frustration that fueled his desire to help and aid this ailing soul.

"Rejected by love is one thing. But to be completely hated by the person you desire is another." Hawk Moth said and a Moth came to his hand and he infused it with dark energy.

"Fly away my little akuma and evilize her broken heart.

Marinette didn't say a word to her parents when she got home. She just sulked upstairs to her room letting the tears fall down her face. She sniffed and closed her door as quietly as possible. That's when she really let it all out. She pressed her back against the wall and let out sob after sob until her knees gave out. She fell into her hands and cringed at the pain. Tikki wanted to give Marinette privacy, but she knew something was major wrong.

"Marinette! What happened to your hand?" Tikki asked and Marinette looked at her hand, which already had dark bruises. No doubt it will look even worse by the end of the day.

"A-a..." Marinette could barely form the words, seeing her hand brought on a harsher wave of tears that burned Marinette's eyes.

"A what, a what?" Tikki asked asked and Marinette curled up into a tiny ball, cradling her hand as she went.

"Ad-drien." Marinette wailed and Tikki's eyes widened.

"Surely you're not telling me that Adrien is the one who busted your hand up." Tikki said and Marinette just cried, and cried, and cried.

"He-he hates me so much. He made me feel s-so worthless." Marinette said after a few minutes.

"You're not worthless Marinette. You mean a lot to your family and friends. Besides, without you, all of Paris would crumble at the hands of Hawk Moth. Paris needs Ladybug, Marinette." Tikki said.

"Well, maybe I'm just a bad Ladybug." Marinette said and she took off her earrings and shoved them into Tikki's fingerless hands.

"I'm just as pathetic as that mask I've been making for the school dance." Marinette whispered and Tikki looked over at the mask. Normally she hates it when Marinette removes her miraculous, but right now she needed to help her friend feel better. So Tikki put the Ladybug earrings away in their formal box, and then she grabbed the mask.

"Please stop crying Marinette; your mask is wonderful." Tikki said and she put the mask on Marinette.

"You know, everyone wears a mask, Tikki. I always thought Adrien was a good guy, but... now..." Marinette looked at her hand and started crying again. Tikki sighed, there wasn't much for her to do now, but wait. Tikki flew over and she sat on the miraculous box. But then she saw a dark moth approaching Marinette's window.

"AH!" Tikki said and Marinette looked at her Kwami. The dark moth flew between the glass and the frame and over to Marinette.

"Tikki! Take the miraculous and go find Cat Noir, RUN!" Marinette said, and Tikki took the box and flew far, far away. Marinette was too tired from crying to stand, but she crawled away with all of her strength. It wasn't enough though, because the akuma entered her mask and she could hear Hawk Moth's voice in her head.

"Masquerade, I am Hawk Moth, and I am here to help you." Hawk Moth said and Marinette covered her ears.

"The only person you want to help us yourself." Marinette said.

"My dear lady. I try to help many of the Parisians in our city. I give them the power to fulfill their hearts desires." Hawk Moth said and Marinette found some strength to sit up.

"You turn people into villains, and you can't force me to hurt people." Marinette said and Hawk Moth chuckled.

"Hurt people, no, no. I don't want you to hurt people." Hawk Moth said and Marinette paused.

"You don't?" Marinette asked and Hawk Moth shook his head; but how did she know that?

"No, of course not. I don't want to hurt others, and I certainly don't want you to jury others." Hawk Moth said, and Marinette believed him.

"Then what do you want?" Marinette asked.

"Why I want the same thing you do, Masquerade. I want to live in a world where we can all be honest with each other. Where we can have everyone walking around accepting what they think and feel. No more secrets, no more lies, no more hiding. Wouldn't that be nice?" Hawk Moth said and Marinette felt her heavy heart. She was sick and tired of lying to everyone that she cares about. And surely there are others who wished that they could be more open and honest.

"That would be nice." Marinette admitted.

"Then why don't you let me help you, my dear Masquerade. I can give you the power to help others. What do you say?" Hawk Moth asked and Marinette bit her lip.

"Well..." Marinette said, and she felt her body being covered in his dark magic.

Meanwhile, at the school, Adrien and the rest of the fencing class was in the locker rooms getting ready to leave for the day. Adrien was feeling much better. He was so fired up that he actually won a few matches against Kagami. Then he let his problems wash away in the shower. But when Adrien got to his locker, he saw the dent he had made and he remembered how mean he was to Plagg and Marinette. Adrien opened his locker and Plagg was floating there with his back to Adrien.

"Uh, hey." Adrien said softly and Plagg didn't move.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier, Plagg. I overreacted and said somethings and... I'm sorry..." Adrien said and Plagg glanced at him, but kept his back to Adrien.

"Did you enjoy your Camembert?" Adrien asked, hoping for a little positivity.

"I didn't eat it." Plagg said and Adrien's eyes widened.

"What are you? Sick?" Adrien asked and Plagg faced Adrien. At this point most of the other students had left, but they didn't really pay attention to Adrien talking to himself.

"Of course, I'm sick. I'm sick of the way you let your love for Ladybug get in the way of everything else. You're a good kid, Adrien, but today you were down right awful." Plagg said and Adrien bit his lip.

"You're right. I shouldn't have gotten mad like that. I shouldn't have grabbed you or punch my locker." Adrien said and Plagg sighed.

"You know, if it was just that, I could easily forgive you." Plagg said and Adrien blinked.

"Huh?" Adrien said and Plagg nodded.

"Listen Adrien. I have been helping Cat Noir's for centuries. Do you really believe that you are the first one to have crush on Ladybug?" Plagg asked and Adrien paused. He hadn't really thought of Plagg being someone else's Kwami.

"Besides, I've been grabbed before, and that's ok. When you think about it, it's no big deal. I can fly through walls, do you seriously think I couldn't fly out of your hand if I wanted?" Plagg pointed out, and that did make Adrien feel a little better.

"But this isn't about me anymore." Plagg said and Adrien eyed him.

"It isn't?" Adrien asked, half-expecting the Kwami to make some cheese joke.

"I'm a cat, Adrien. Cat's have amazing hearing. And at first, I was kind of glad that you refused to let Chloe push you around. Though I think we both know you're gonna beat that photo shoot." Plagg paused to wink, and Adrien sighed when he remembered the shoot.

"But, no... I can't truly forgive you, until Marinette forgives you." Plagg said and Adrien blushed.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Adrien asked. He knew exactly where the Kwami was going with this, but Adrien was kinda blocking that experience. He knew that he crossed a line.

"I think you know 'Adri-kens'. I can't believe you were so mean to her. She has been nothing but nice to you. Heck you even called her 'our everyday Ladybug'. And now you go and break her hand?" Plagg said and Adrien rubbed his arm.

"You're right. I guess I should go find her; before she leaves." Adrien said and Plagg sighed.

"Dude I actually watched your fight. You already missed her. She left right after you talked to her." Plagg informed him, and Adrien blinked. It's kind of hard to see who is who when everyone is in uniform, so he didn't see Marinette leave.

"Well then, I guess she is at home." Adrien said and Plagg saw that they were now alone in the locker room, so he floated out and looked at Adrien.

"That's probably the best place to start. Even is she isn't at home, there is a good chance that her folks know where she is." Plagg said and Adrien grabbed his stuff, but he stopped when he got to the door.

"What am I suppose to say?" Adrien asked and Plagg shrugged.

"I guess you could get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. Even if that's not enough to make her forgive you right away, it should at least get you on the right path." Plagg suggested and Adrien smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I better go tell my bodyguard that I need to run to Marinette's. Good thing she lives so close to the school." Adrien said and he went ahead and walked outside. But that's when he started to suspect that something was wrong. His big burly bodyguard was on his knees, crying. Shocked, Adrien inched his way towards the emotional man.

"Hey, are you-" Adrien stopped when the guard looked up at him, and he was wearing a mask.

"Did I ever tell you, that I could have married my high school sweetheart?" The guard said and Adrien blinked. Normally his guard acts like a tough silent man. Almost like a moving statue. And now he was crying and talking?

"She wanted to get married, and I told her that I didn't want to get married. That was a lie. I was embarrassed because I couldn't afford a nice wedding ring. I was trying to save up enough money for a ring when she broke up with me. She is married with a family now, and that makes me pretty sad. Because I-I s-still love her. Oh! Adrien you are the closest thing I have to a son. You mean so much to me." The bodyguard cried and then he wrapped his arms around the blond boy.

"Thank you? You mean a lot to me as well." Adrien said confused.

"Adrien!" A powerful voice called and Adrien turned and saw a beautiful masked enchantress. And she looked so incredibly familiar

"Do I know you?" Adrien asked and the masked figure chuckled.

"Ironic. I have wasted so much time thinking that I knew who you really are. But I failed. And know everyone will see." The woman said and Adrien took a step back to block his guard.

"I am Masquerade, and from now on people will see and the anger and frustration you hide." Masquerade said and she placed two fingers against her mask, like an informal salute. Then she pointed at Adrien and a dark mask headed straight for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 4,

As the dark mask approached Adrien, he wondered how that would affect him. He also wondered if Ladybug was already on her way to save the day.

"No!" The bodyguard screamed and he grabbed Adrien and twisted the both of them around. So the mask hit the bodyguard's back and Adrien stepped away from him to see what the grown man was gonna do. The guard blinked and then he let out an animalistic growl.

"Oh no." Adrien said and the guard glared at him.

"You're father is a cruel man. And he ruined my life. The best way to crush him, is to crush the one thing he loves more than anything else. You." The bodyguard said and Adrien gasped.

"Whoa, Whoa, I'm sure that we can talk about this." Adrien said, and the bodyguard picked up a nearby trash can and threw it at Adrien.

"Or not." Adrien said and he dodged the trash can and ran away from the scene.

"Get back here!" The bodyguard shouted.

"Fine, run Adrien! Just know that you can't hide forever. I know this city like the back of my hand." Masquerade called out, but the bodyguard started chasing after Adrien.

"Forget that, I can find him now." He said and Masquerade turned away.

"I suppose I can always spread the truth while I wait for Adrien." Masquerade said and she heard Hawk Moth's voice in her head.

"While we wait, do you have another ailing soul that you can help?" Hawk Moth asked.

"Perhaps it would be wise to go after his little fan girl." Masquerade said with a smile and Hawk Moth mimicked her smile.

"I like the way you think, Masquerade. Let's go find Chloe together." He said and Masquerade nodded.

"I know just where to find her." Masquerade said.

Meanwhile, Adrien ran as fast as he could, but it did little good. His bodyguard trained everyday for exercise like this. The man is literally built to outrun anyone he met. Including the famous model/superhero that Adrien is.

"You got to ditch him, man. We got to stop Masquerade." Adrien could hear Plagg say through his shirt.

"Well, I'm opened to suggestions." Adrien said as the guard threw a mailbox at him.

"Wait, that thing was full. How did he lift that?" Plagg asked and Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Any ideas, buddy?" Adrien said and it looked like an uprooted tree got thrown at them.

"Well, he is focused on his anger right now, maybe we could use that anger against him." Plagg suggest and Adrien looked down at the little creature.

"How is making him more upset gonna help me?" Adrien asked and Plagg shrugged.

"I don't know, is there any people he hates more then your father?" Plagg asked.

"Well, I guess there is this one cop that could work. He always writes a lot of tickets and it makes my bodyguard mad. But that wouldn't really do much good." Adrien said and Plagg shrugged.

"I don't know, dude. The sooner you lose that angry gorilla, the sooner you and Ladybug can defeat Masquerade, and the sooner things can go back to normal." Plagg pointed out and Adrien groaned.

"I don't like this." Adrien said and Plagg rolled his eyes.

"Your complaints is noted. Look there's that cop." Plagg pointed out and Adrien saw the man writing get another pile of parking tickets.

"Hey, isn't that the cop who keeps writing you up?" Adrien called back to his bodyguard, who froze when he saw the lawman.

"You!" The bodyguard growled out and Adrien sighed when the brute stopped chasing him, but Adrien didn't have time to rest. He dove into the alley.

"Let's go stop Masquerade. Plagg, Clawd Out!" Adrien said as he transformed into his alter ego.

Adrien's friend, Chloe, spent most of rest time running around her father's hotel. She loved to dress up in her Ladybug costume, pretending to fight Akumatized victims. It was her favorite past time, so Masquerade knew this would be the place to go. Masquerade burst through the doors and she saw Chloe's butler. Possibly the one person who truly cared about Chloe and convinces her to do something different.

"Mademoiselle, may I help you?" He asked and Masquerade smiled.

"Such a kind man, it must be hard to stay so positive, especially around Chloe. Let me make it easier for you to express your negative emotions." Masquerade said and she saluted and sent a mask flying towards him. Once it hit him, the butler slumped his shoulders and his head was tilted lazily.

"What is going on here?" The mayor boasted and the butler turned to him.

"Why look who it is. The fat, lying, politician, who doesn't have a spine." The butler said and mayor Bourgeois took a step back.

"What is the meaning of this?" The figurehead shouted and Masquerade eyed him for a moment.

"You know, mayor Bourgeois, he does have a point. When it comes to Chloe or her mother, you do become spineless. But when you were the Malediktator, you acted like an overlord. Perhaps it would be wise to bring out a more nurturing side of you." Masquerade said and she threw a mask at the mayor.

"You really should straighten your back, darling." Mayor Bourgeois said to Masquerade, who blinked.

"It would save you multitudes of medical bills in your 80's. Do as I say, mother knows best after all." Mayor Bourgeois said and Masquerade couldn't help but chuckle.

"Not what I was expecting, but I can roll with this." Masquerade said and she walked past the two gentlemen.

"You were not excused young lady." Mayor said and Masquerade rolled her eyes.

"Where is your daughter?" Masquerade asked.

"In her room of course. But we need to have a serious discussion on your attitude, little lady. You rolled your eyes, demanded information and you don't even say 'please', 'thank you' or 'sorry'." The mayor said and Masquerade smiled/

" _Please_ know that I am _sorry_ for the way you interpreted my behavior, and _thank you_ for telling me where Chloe is." Masquerade said in a slight sarcastic tone, and then she walked away.

"Don't take that tone with me." The mayor shouted.

"You're not my real mom." Masquerade called back.

"Just wait until your father gets home." The mayor said and Masquerade laughed at his current actions.

Cat Noir searches the streets, looking for where Masquerade went. Ironically it was a pretty calm afternoon. There was only a few people with masks, but he just couldn't understand what Masquerade's master plan was. He was a firefighter telling people his fears; a depressed student singing songs like 'singing in the rain' and 'Angel of music'; and then there was a librarian that people pushed around, who was screaming orders through a megaphone. None of these people were acting similarly. It was a little like Reversion, where people simply acted the opposite of how they normally behaved. But no, that wasn't quite right. It seemed like this was what the people really felt. Like when his bodyguard confessed how he felt about Adrien and his father. Masquerade was amplifying a person's real emotions.

"Masquerade knows me, and she seemed to have a grudge against me for some reason." Cat Noir said and he decided to call Ladybug, but there was no answer.

"Ladybug, when you get this, I need your help. There is an akumatized victim named Masquerade. Where are you?" Cat Noir said and he hung up. Then he took a deep breath and decided to think about this logically.

"Ok, Masquerade is amplifying emotions, and she is mad at Adrien. So who is an emotional mess that means a lot to me?" Cat Noir said and it only took him a minute before he knew the answer.

"Oh, no. Chloe!" Cat Noir ran as fast as he could, but feared she may already be a goner.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 5,

Chloe was going through the clothes the agency sent over, when she came in.

"Ugh! Don't you dare mess with this line you fashion drop out. These clothes were handcrafted by the finest designers in Paris." Chloe shouted at Masquerade. Masquerade looked at the blonde child, and some of Masquerades anger went away.

"Masquerade, go. This is your chance to get back at Adrien for his treatment of you." Hawk Moth's voice called out and Masquerade sighed.

"I wanted to come here and turn you into a hostage to lure Adrien out of hiding. But now that I see you, I can see that you too are in need of my help." Masquerade said and Chloe scoffed.

"Help? The only help I need is getting your big butt out the door." Chloe said.

"Listen to the way she disrespects you. Kidnap her now." Hawk Moth ordered and Masquerade shook her head.

"No." She deserves better then that." Masquerade told Hawk Moth who was confused by her actions.

"Chloe, as I stand here, watching you defend your wardrobe with your very life, it occurs to me that you aren't that happy." Masquerade said and Chloe gasped and crossed her arms.

"How dare you. There are thousands of people in Paris who wish to be me, do that makes me the happiest Parisians in Paris." Chloe said.

"I agree, punish her." Hawk Moth edged on.

"I'm not here to punish, I'm here to help."

Masquerade practically hissed at Hawk Moth.

"Chloe." Masquerade said and she took a step towards Chloe and that caused her to raise her hands to defend her clothes once again.

"Your father spends all of his time in government offices. Your mother left you when you were little to live in New York. Only recently has she been back in your life, and even then she spends so much of her time designing and hardly speaking to you." Masquerade said and Chloe's expression softened.

"You only have one friend, but you are still mean to her. And when it was your teacher's birthday, you forgot to get her a present and you felt so bad that you wreaked another gift so you could feel better." Masquerade said and Chloe lowered her arms once more.

"How... how did you know all that?" Chloe asked.

"I think deep down you want to be more vulnerable with people, but you have had to be strong for so long that you forgot what that means." Masquerade said and no one said a word. The air grew so dense that they couldn't even hear the most famous cat in Paris climbing up the building.

"My gift to you, Chloe, is the ability to be more vulnerable and open with your pain." Masquerade said and she pointed at her own mask and threw a copy at Chloe.

"No!" Cat Noir said and he burst through the window doors right as the mask hit Chloe. The room paused as they waited for Chloe to react to something.

"Well, I really don't feel different, you poor excuse for a villain." Chloe said and Car Noir blinked. Did this mask really not affect her?

"You just weren't feeling anything real, Chloe." Masquerade said and she saw a photo on the fire place.

"Uh, hello, all of my feelings are real. What a ridiculous notion, absolutely ridiculous." Chloe said and Masquerade threw a mask at the photo. The mask circled around the photo and it suddenly appeared in Chloe's hands.

"I-I remember this day." Chloe whispered and tears started to form in her eyes.

"Chloe?" Cat Noir said cautiously as he slowly walked towards Masquerade. He had a feeling that if Masquerade kept giving others masks, then her Akuma must be in her mask. If he was careful he can get it. But where was Ladybug?

"This picture was taken on my birthday... r-right before mom went go New York, a-and..." Chloe wailed in pain, heavy tears staining her face.

"See, these are you're real feelings, Chloe. No need to hide them anymore." Masquerade said, then she looked over at Cat Noir. She thought about giving Cat Noir a mask too, but she made the mistake of looking into those kind feline eyes. Cat Noir saw a familiar gaze in those eyes, and he was conflicted. This was a villain he needed to fight, but his primal instinct said that he could trust this Masquerade.

"Cat Noir is dumbfounded! Steal his miraculous now!" Hawk Moth shouted and Masquerade hesitated.

"What are you waiting for?" Hawk Moth asked and Masquerade had to think of something fast.

"There will be plenty of time to get his akuma, besides Ladybug isn't here." Masquerade said and she smirked softly and Cat Noir blinked. This was no ordinary victim. Normally they don't mess with Hawk Moth.

"Ladybug or no Ladybug, I want your akuma." Cat Noir said and he dove at Masquerade.

"And I want Adrien." Masquerade said and then she jumped over Cat Noir and out the window.

"Forget Adrien. I gave you power to help the Parisians and to get Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous." Hawk Moth shouted.

"Do you think that it will be so easy to lose me?" Cat Noir said. Running right beside Masquerade, and she just wanted to get away from him.

"Stop!" Hawk Moth shouted and Masquerade's legs stopped abruptly and Cat Noir slid and stared at her.

"Hawk Moth, we can leave Cat Noir alone until Ladybug or Adrien come out of hiding." Masquerade said and Cat Noir got into a fighting stance and watched this villain carefully.

"I know you want the miraculous." Masquerade said and Cat Noir's ears managed to pick up the sound. He wasn't exactly sure why she was talking to herself.

"No. Let's wait. Why? I... I don't want to hurt Cat Noir. Because... Because he's my friend." Masquerade said and Cat Noir was surprised to hear this, because Masquerade's body started to shake and this black magic started to surround her.

"AAHHH!" You couldn't see her anymore, but you didn't need sensitive hearing to notice her blood curdling scream. Cat Noir dropped his baton and covered his ears, because they noticed a bit too much. Her scream of pain quickly turned into a howl of anger. The cloud disappeared and Masquerade stormed right to Cat Noir. She threw a mask at the lamppost and it appeared in her hands. Cat Noir noticed the sound got closer and he looked up and saw Masquerade right on top of him. She swung and he quickly jumped out of the way. He landed right on top of the lamppost and he ran up it towards her. Masquerade threw Cat Noir against a nearby car. Cat Noir groaned and gasped when he saw the lamppost heading straight for him. He rolled off the car and trembled at the lamppost cutting a sizable scrape/hole off the top of the car. He took a soothing breath and jumped into Masquerade's line of sight. He ran at her and Masquerade sighed. Though her mind was a bit cloudy, she still tried to find a way to get rid of Cat Noir without out hurting him or letting Hawk Moth know what she was doing.

"Why so silent? I don't have your tongue." Cat Noir asked and Masquerade groaned and threw a mask at Cat Noir's tail.

"A-" the belt appeared in her hand with Cat Noir attached.

"-dri-" she spun around quickly making Cat Noir spin around and around.

"-en!" Masquerade three Cat Noir high in the air and watched his disappear.

"No! Why did you do that?" Hawk Moth shouted and Masquerade gasped.

"Ladybug always shows up when Cat Noir is in trouble." Masquerade said and after a minute of silence, Hawk Moth knew this was true.

"Correct Masquerade. It is a bit odd that she hasn't shown up yet. Keep up your guard though. She could be hiding anywhere." Hawk Moth warned.

"Whoa!" Cat Noir yelled and he landed on the roof of the school.

"Back to square one, I see." Cat Noir said as he looked around.

"Guess I need to retrace my paw prints." Cat Noir said and he started running.

"Wait!" A little red bug flew right in front of Cat Noir's face and he almost fell off the roof when he saw it.

"What the-" Cat Noir blinked as he looked at it. It actually looked a lot like Plagg, but a ladybug version. Wait.

"Are you Ladybug's Kwami.? The one Plagg was telling me about? Tikki?" Cat Noir said and Tikki nodded.

"Though I don't know why that cheese lover has been talking about me, yes, I am Tikki." Tikki said and Cat Noir ran his hands through his hair.

"Well, I guess that explains why I have been one Ladybug short. Where is she?" Cat Noir asked and Tikki's eyes widened.

"We need to go to master. I'll show you the way since you've never been there." Tikki said and Cat Noir shook his head.

"What? A master? We can't see a master now, when this Masquerade character is masking everyone's feelings. Or unmasking as it were." Cat Noir said and Tikki hesitated. Cat Noir really started to get worried.

"Tikki, please tell me. Where is Ladybug?" Cat Noir said and Tikki sighed heavily.

"Ladybug is... well." Tikki still wasn't sure that this was the right course of action, but she knew that she needed Cat Noir's help. Marinette asked Tikki to find Cat Noir, so Tikki has to be honest with him, like Ladybug would.

"Adrien, this might be hard for you to accept, but... Masquerade is Ladybug." Tikki said and Cat Noir's heart sank.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 6,

"Ok, ok, this is so much at one time." Adrien said. Tikki took Adrien to Master Fu and they kinda bombarded Adrien with information.

"Ok, so I met you before because you gave me my Miraculous and that Camembert box of cheeses that transform Plagg." Adrien said and Master Fu nodded.

"Very true. You seemed very interested in Plagg's transformations. You didn't ask many questions about other matters." Master Fu said and Adrien crossed his arms.

"I guess those times Ladybug got a weird Lucky Charm and ran off, she was coming to talk to you." Adrien thought out loud and Master Fu nodded.

"It's true. But as I told you before it was hard for Ladybug to hide this from you. It broke her heart to lie to her trusted Cat Noir." Master Fu said and Adrien groaned.

"Oh, I feel so out of the loop." Adrien complained.

"Who cares about being in the loop when you still got to kick lots of Akumatized butts." Plagg said and Tikki glared at him.

"You should be more sensitive to Adrien's feelings and encourage him to listen to his instincts." Tikki said and Plagg groaned.

"You and your instincts, I swear you don't think an instinct can be wrong?" Plagg said.

"Ladybug works better when she stops overthinking and simply does what she needs to do." Tikki said and Adrien watched them. Tikki was very serious and Plagg was more, well, Plagg.

"Kwami's, Kwami's, don't fight. We have got a serious situation on our hands." Master Fu said and he had a plate in his hand.

"I brought you some food to keep you occupied while Cat Noir and I speak. Plagg I got your favorite pungent cheese, Camembert. And for you Tikki, a nice, fresh chocolate macaroon." Master Fu said and Adrien smiled at how excited the Kwami's got.

"Plagg loves smelly cheese and Tikki has a sweet tooth." Adrien states and Master Fu smiled and chuckled softly.

"Technically Plagg enjoys salty foods. He use to have crackers, fries, and pretzels, and chips. Until he discovered how much he enjoyed the smell and taste of cheese." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked.

"Interesting, Plagg doesn't really talk about his life before he met me." Adrien said and Master Fu nodded.

"A man does not tell his wife about past romances." Master Fu said and Adrien looked out the window.

"Regardless, I still find it hard to believe that my Ladybug could be Akumatized." Adrien said and Master Fu smiled/

" 'your Ladybug'?" Master Fu repeated and Adrien blushed.

"Oh, uh, yeah, since there were, uh, others." Adrien said nervously and Master Fu nodded.

"You feel possessive over Ladybug because she possesses your heart. That is natural." Master Fu said understandingly and Adrien sighed.

"Ok, yes. I'm in love with Ladybug, I admit it. But it doesn't seem like my emotions really matter here." Adrien said.

"I won't be so sure, Adrien. You would be surprised how similar you and Ladybug are." Master Fu said.

"Master Fu, as much as I want to believe that, we still have to deal with the reality that Ladybug is Masquerade." Adrien said and Master Fu frowned.

"Yes, that does complicate matters." Master Fu took a deep breath.

"There is a simple solution, but I doubt you will be excited for it." Master Fu said. He turned around and picked up a miraculous box and Adrien stared at it.

"My boy, since Ladybug has been Akumatized, you must give me the Cat Noir ring and put on the Ladybug earrings." Master Fu said and Adrien gasped.

"M-me? Be Ladybug? I can't... how could I, I'm just a...? Why do I have to give you my ring?" Adrien asked and Master Fu took a deep breath.

"If someone were to possess the earrings and the ring, they would be able to shape reality as we know it. The harm is that nature demands a balance. The outcomes are too dangerous and unpredictable to manage." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked.

"Are you sure? I mean think of all the lives we could save." Adrien said and Master Fu pursed his lips.

"To save one, the universe would take another before their time. Imagine a mother uses that power to bring her husband back to life, but when she does, nature takes one of her children's lives away." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked then sighed heavily.

"Ok, ok, here's the ring." Adrien said as he slipped the miraculous off and handed it to the guardian.

"Thank you Adrien." Master Fu said and he took the ring and carefully put them in the miraculous box and handed Adrien the earrings.

"They look different." Adrien said and Master Fu nodded.

"It is true, but your ring looks different when you aren't Car Noir." Master Fu said and Adrien knew that was true.

"Master, may I say something to Adrien?" Tikki asked and Adrien blinked at the little red Kwami.

"Ladybug was nervous too, Adrien. If you recall she didn't even want to fight Stoneheart until you comforted her concerns on not being good enough." Tikki said and Adrien recalled this.

"Hard to believe Ladybug didn't feel like a superhero, but you're right." Adrien said.

"Your Ladybug is great because she is quick on her feet and she trusts her instincts. She told me to find you Adrien. And I'm sure you'll know what to do." Tikki said and Adrien smiled.

"You're really good at pep talks." Adrien said and Tikki giggled.

"Of course being with M-" Tikki's mouth filled with bubbles that poured out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I can't say Ladybug's real name to you or anywhere around Plagg. But being with Ladybug has given me lots of practice with giving pep talks." Tikki said and Adrien smiled.

"Ok, I'll be Ladybug." Adrien said and Tikki flew up and hugged Adrien's face.

"Master Fu? What will I do if Ladybug is better then me and I can't get her Akuma?" Adrien asked and Master Fu looked at him.

"Well, you could always return and get someone to help you. But from what you told me, I'm confident that you will succeed." Master Fu said and Adrien looked out the window.

"When Ladybug trusts her instincts and does what she thinks is right, she can be unstoppable. Especially when your fighting along side her. But Ladybug is running on her anger, thanks to Hawk Moth. Anger is brute and stiff and irrational. She is not herself." Master Fu said and Adrien nodded.

"You could say that again. But that's why I got to save her. I got to transform, and take Masquerade's mask, get her Akuma and then Ladybug will- will... wait." Adrien suddenly became light headed and he reached his hand out and leaned his weight on the window seal.

"I... I'm about to find out Ladybug's real identity aren't I?" Adrien asked and Master Fu put his hands behind his back.

"It is highly probable, Adrien. I must admit it is highly unusual to trade Miraculous. In the past heroes would choose for their identity to be revealed. It is unfair to ask you to be responsible for all this, Adrien. But Ladybug needs you to be strong because she trusts you." Master Fu said and Plagg flew over.

"What's the big deal Adr-" Plagg's mouth filled with bubbles since he is now next to Tikki.

"Excuse me. Who cares though? You have been dying to know who Ladybug was since you two first met." Plagg said and Adrien closed his eyes.

"Plagg this is different." Tikki complained.

"What, it's true. You should have seen him earlier. He was mean to me, Chloe, and that Marinette girl; because he wanted to find out who Ladybug was." Plagg said and Tikki shook her head.

"He can fix all of that later, Plagg. But right now, he really should be focusing on the task at hand. Even if he learns Ladybug's true identity, he needs to save her now. Otherwise she will never be Ladybug again. It is better for him to risk learning her identity and save her, then it is to let her stay in her current state." Tikki said and Plagg couldn't argue with her, so instead he stuck his tongue out at her. Adrien looked down at the earrings and took a deep breath.

"I guess we better get going, Tikki." Adrien said and Master Fu pulled a few bottles.

"First you need to get the miraculous on." Master Fu said and Adrien's eyes widened.

"You mean... pierce my ears. My dad will kill me." Adrien said and Master Fu got some cotton swabs.

"You must do what you need to do. I've got some numbing agents to help with the pain, we will figure out the rest later." Master Fu said. Nervously Adrien walked over and laid down in front of Master Fu.

"Even with these numbing agents, you may still feel a pinch of pain. Are you ready?" Master Fu asked as he prepped Adrien's ears.

"No, but go ahead." Adrien consented and he closed his eyes.

"Alright." Master Fu said.

"This is for you Ladybug." Adrien whispered.

"It will be better to do them at the same time. Now hold still... and... 1, 2,-"

"AAAHHH!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 7,

"Adrien! Where are you?" Masquerade screeched. She searched high and low for that spoiled brat. She grew more angry by the minute, but that was only the surface. Deep down she knew that all of this must have been a misunderstanding. Unfortunately whenever Masquerade got a bit soft or merciful, Hawk Moth would punish her. He was growing impatient with the lack of superheroes fighting. And the more impatient he got, the less lenient he was with Masquerade.

"Adrien!" Masquerade mind was foggy. Each punishment made her less and less Marinette. Little did she know, Adrien was carefully following her.

"Tikki, she seems different then earlier." Adrien said. Master Fu gave Adrien a ziplock bag of ice and some paper towels for any bleeding from his piercings.

"She is different, Adrien." Tikki stated and Adrien watched Masquerade walk towards the Eiffel Tower. Suddenly she stopped at one of Adrien's many fragrance ads. Adrien saw Masquerade's anger fade away as she stared at the ad.

"Huh?" Adrien said and Tikki watched as well. Masquerade whispered something, and then her body clenched together as if she were tied with an invisible rope and she cried out in pain.

"Tikki, what's happening?" Adrien asked.

"Hawk Moth is squeezing Masquerade with his hand." Tikki explained sadly and Adrien blinked.

"What, how? Hawk Moth's Powers is to give others powers?" Adrien asked and Tikki sighed.

"The linger you have the powers, the more control Hawk Moth has over his villains. He could control body parts, or squeezing them as you already saw, or-"

"Or covering them in a dark cloud to hurt them." Adrien interrupted as he remembered this from earlier.

"Yes, if the victim needs extreme persuasion." Tikki said and Adrien's face grew concerned.

"How many times could he do that before he really hurts her?" Adrien asked.

"Honestly, it depends on the person. Ladybug is tough so she could probably handle more. But she has a deep need to protect people. It's probably taking Hawk Moth a lot of energy to keep Ladybug as Masquerade." Tikki said and Adrien watched as Hawk Moth released Masquerade and she threw a mask at the Ad and then Masquerade transported it up into the air and then drop down with a grand crash.

"Well, I'm still not sure if I can do this alone, but Master Fu is right about one thing." Adrien said.

"What's that?" Tikki asked.

"She isn't herself. Maybe I can take her." Adrien said and Tikki flew up and checked Adrien's ears.

"Looks like the bleeding has stopped. Are you ready to transform?" Tikki asked, and Adrien took a deep breath.

"Plagg, Claws Out!" Adrien said and Masquerade whipped around.

"What was that?" She asked aloud.

"No, no, no, that is not what Ladybug says." Tikki whispered and Adrien saw that he got Masquerade's attention.

"Perhaps that is Cat Noir, coming to ruin your chances of finding Adrien." Hawk Moth said to Masquerade.

"Adrien." She said almost zombie-like.

"Oh, uh, sorry. What does Ladybug say? 'Bug out'?" Adrien asked nervously.

"Go see who it is." Hawk Moth ordered and Masquerade started walking towards Adrien.

"No, Adrien. Not bug out. Spots on." Tikki clarified.

"Well, spots on already." Adrien said and for the first time Adrien transformed into Ladybug. His masked appeared first, then his sleeves and rest flowed down his body and then that circular purse appeared on his hip.

"Odd, this kinda feels the same as the Cat Noir suit." Adrien whispered and he saw Masquerade getting closer.

"Adrien." Masquerade said and she rounded the corner and there was a dark figure leaning against the wall.

"It must be Cat Noir, get his Miraculous, now!" Hawk Moth ordered and she growled as the figure stepped out into the light.

"What?" Hawk Moth wondered out loud.

"Cat?" Masquerade asked and Cat Noir grabbed the Ladybug yo-yo and started playing with it.

"I had to step in for Malady, since she isn't feeling herself. I hope you're not mad at my Bugaboo." Cat Noir said and Masquerade blinked.

"You're not really a Cat Noir, or a Ladybug, so what are you?" Masquerade asked and Cat Noir blinked.

"Why are you making chitchat? Just take the earrings and make him tell you where the Cat Noir ring is." Hawk Moth said.

"Well Catbug sounds a bit odd, so even though I'm a guy, just call me Lady Noir. It flows off the tongue better." Lady Noir said Masquerade's body shook a little and Hawk Moth forced her to lunge at Lady Noir.

"Whoa!" Masquerade commented and Lady Noir easily dodged out of her reach.

"Hmm." Lady Noir noticed and he started spinning the Yo-yo as a added defense.

"Lady Noir, I'm gonna take your miraculous, and then I'll force you to tell me where the Cat Noir ring is." Masquerade said and she threw a mask at the fence and it lifted out of the ground.

"Oh." Lady Noir said as it started to chase him.

"Uh, bug out." Lady Noir said and he ran off. Oddly though this phrase rang deep into Masquerade's core. She had always said this phrase after she saved the day. It felt different then this. And suddenly Masquerade wasn't sure if she was helping the people around her or not.

"Go after him!" Hawk Moth urged and Masquerade hesitated.

"Am I really helping people?" Masquerade wondered out loud and Hawk Moth sighed.

"You are relentless, Masquerade. I fear that I'm gonna have to take over." Hawk Moth said and this confused Masquerade.

"But your spirit reminds me of someone important to me." Hawk Moth said and in Masquerade's mind, she saw flashes of this woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She found it odd to see such vivid memories of this blonde laughing and talking and even holding a baby.

"Let me give you one last chance, Masquerade, to get Cat Noir-er, Lady Noir and give me the miraculous." Hawk Moth said and Masquerade straightened her back. Lady Noir was surprised at how much a fence could do. The pointed parts were being thrown at him like Agate Arrowheads, and the straight rods kept trying to tie him up.

"Oh, this is so stupid. Ladybug wouldn't be running like this." Lady Noir said. He stopped and he took out the yo-yo. He spun it as the arrows were being shot at him. As for the bits trying to tie him up, he jumped up into the air, and with the help from the yo-yo, he ties a pretty standard knot.

"Heh, can't believe I left Boy Scouts." Lady Noir said and a mask flew past him and on the knot. The knot was transported above his head.

"Knot quite." Masquerade said and she dropped the Metal knot, but Lady Noir jumped out of the way just in time.

"I heard that there is always time for a bow, but that's ridiculous." Lady Noir said, and Masquerade smirked.

"You're starting to bug me." Masquerade said.

"Starting now? I must be off my game." Lady Noir said. Masquerade shot out masks at Lady Noir.

"As soon as one of these touches you, you will give into your emotions of dedication and follow me." Masquerade said and she threw mask after mask, but Lady Noir just kept dodging them.

"Ha! Can't touch this. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, cha." Lady Noir sang when he dodged even more. With a growl, Masquerade stopped and she looked around at the scared onlookers. There was about ten of them, and she threw a mask at each of them.

"Parisians. This kitty is trying to overthrow the true Ladybug. He had already stolen her miraculous. Show him your true feelings." Masquerade said and Lady Noir watched the crowd surround him. Instinctively, he reached for his stick, but that doesn't come with this suit. He just had the yo-yo that he wasn't use to dealing with.

"Masquerade, I think that you're a big hypocrite." Lady Noir said and Masquerade blinked and held up her hand and the ten pawns stopped.

"You are trying to show everyone how great it is to be honest about their feelings, but you are hiding yourself. What would your mom say or even your dad or your friends?" Lady Noir said and Masquerade hesitated she tried to remember who she was before she got the mask.

"I don't know." Masquerade said and she lowered her hand and the ten started moving again and Lady Noir spun the yo-yo.

"You don't know what your family and friends would say? That's hard to believes." Lady Noir said.

"I-I don't remember." Masquerade admitted and Masquerade tried to remember something, anything. And Lady Noir noticed, how much she struggled. She really isn't the Ladybug he has come to know and love.

"The only thing I remember, is my anger towards Adrien. Attack the imposter." Masquerade ordered. Lady Noir swung the yo-yo. He hit people, and dodged them, and forced people to trip by grabbing their ankles with the yo-yo.

"Adrien is gone." Lady Noir heard a familiar voice say. He glanced over someone and saw his bodyguard. But his suit was messed up and torn, and he was drenched in sweat.

"No!" Masquerade yelled and her mask started to shake and Lady Noir knew he had to get away. He swung the yo-yo up to the lamppost and he catapulted his way to a nearby roof. He turned around and saw Masquerade's mask multiplying so many masks that it looked like a beacon of darkness. It shot up and then the masks covered the sky, eliminating the light.

"Ok, I've never done this, but I think it's time. Lucky charm." Lady Noir said and the device flew up into the air and spun like it always does and down came...

"A human-size hamster ball? What am I suppose to do with this?" Lady Noir said and he looked around just like Ladybug does but he still didn't know how to use it.

"What? Where did that bug go? Find him! Attack every door in Paris if you must." Masquerade said and Lady Noir didn't want to be seen, so he stepped a bit closer to the roof pool. He looked down at his reflection and his reflection flashed in red and black spots. Confused he looked back at the hamster ball and it flashed in red and black spots, and how he understood.

"Oh, the ball is for me." He thought out loud and he quickly hid inside.

"Parisians!" Masquerade's voice said and Lady Noir looked into the sky and saw a giant face made out of masks.

"Aren't you tired of suppressing your emotions? Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to worry about it anymore. Feel free to express your jealousy and resentment towards two people.

Adrien's Agreste, who isn't what he seems; and Cat Noir, or should I say 'Lady Noir' because he is trying to be Ladybug. Find them, fight them and bring them to me!" Masquerade said and all of the masks in the sky crashed down and Lady Noir flinched and covered his face with his arms and he fell to his knees when the ball shook. He took a shaky breath and looked up. The ground was covered in masks, and he carefully stood. It was a good thing he had the ball instead of an umbrella. If he stepped on one of those masks, it would probably turn him. But when he was standing, he looked over at the pool, and he saw how the masks were dissolving in the water and Lady Noir smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 8,

Turns out the roof Adrien had jumped unto was Le Grand Paris Hotel. He knew he had to get Tikki some food, and so he just had to find his way to the kitchen without getting caught. Everyone in Paris was going after Adrien and Lady Noir. It wasn't safe to be out in the open for too long.

"How you doing Tikki?" Adrien whispered and he had Tikki in his hands.

"I'm fine, I just need to fuel up." Tikki whispered back and Adrien nodded. Adrien was going down the stairwell he found on the roof. Most people use the elevator, so in the staircase, Adrien only had to avoid the occasional mask.

"Finally. This is the floor with the kitchen." Adrien said.

"Tread lightly, Adrien." Tikki said and she flew into Adrien's jacket, to help Adrien focus. Adrien took a deep breath and slowly cracked open the door. He saw a few masks on the floor and the wall, but otherwise nothing unusual. He could hear some chatter down the hall, coming from the kitchen. Adrien was about to step into the hall when the kitchen door burst open. Adrien backed up, and kept the door cracked so he could hear and see some faces that came out, but he wasn't sure who they were because he only saw them for half a second.

"My daughter is so obsessed with that blog on Ladybug, and that stupid Cat Noir keep getting in the way of my daughters glory." A woman said.

"You kidding? My daughter wants to be a famous fashion designer, but with that Adrien Agreste kid gets all of the attention. He models a hat that she made and Everyone remembers his name instead of my daughter." A tall male said.

"You think that's bad. My daughter told Cat Noir to assist her in a project and he abandoned her. Not only that, but my daughter arranged for a fashion show with her and Adrien later today, and he told her to 'grow up'." That last voice sounded like Mayor Bourgeois. They all got on the elevator and Adrien sighed, and then he dashed to the kitchen. Seeing no one he went over and locked all of the doors. Once he felt safe, he set Tikki on the counter and took a deep breath.

"You don't eat Camembert, right? You have a sweet tooth?" Adrien asked and Tikki nodded.

"Yes, that's true, but you need to get back out and fight, so anything will do." Tikki said and Adrien blinked.

"You sure are better then Plagg is. He basically refuses to eat anything but Camembert." Adrien said and he walked over to the fridge. He quickly found a plate of macaroons. He pulled it out and handed the plate to Tikki.

"I haven't really seen people put these in the fridge, but here you go Tikki." Adrien said, not really wanting to question it. Tikki took a bite of food.

"Some people do that to make it last longer, others do that to cool the food down before serving." Tikki explained and Adrien hopped up in the silver table and sat down.

"I just don't get it." Adrien muttered.

"A fridge is a neutral way of lowering temperatures in food." Tikki said and Adrien shook his head at her.

"No, no, not that. Masquerade said that she couldn't remember her friends and family. But she remembers me, because she is mad at me? I just don't get it. How can she remember one and not the other?" Adrien asked and Tikki paused.

"I think I have the answer, but I am unsure of how you will take it." Tikki said and Adrien looked at her.

"As strange as all of this is for me, Tikki, Ladybug and I could use this experience to better understand Hawk Moth and how he picks his victims... so... Even if... I don't like the answer... I think that I still need to know the truth. So please, Tikki, tell me what happened to my Ladybug." Adrien said and Tikki was silently chewing for a moment as she thought about what she was going to say.

"You hurt Ladybug, and she was upset, and her negative emotions caused her to be Akumatized." Tikki said slowly and Adrien paused.

"I hurt... I... I'm the reason Ladybug changed?" Adrien asked and Tikki looked away before she nodded.

"Yes, Adrien. And because her emotions towards you are the reason she changed, that's the emotion that Hawk Moth is fueling back to Ladybug. And because of that, she is losing the rest of her memories." Tikki said and Adrien threw his head back until it hit the metal table with a loud bang.

"AGH! I am such an idiot!" Adrien shouted and Tikki hoped no one heard that, even if the doors were locked.

"You're not an idiot, Adrien." Tikki said.

"Yes, I am Tikki." Adrien groaned and he placed a hand on his forehead.

"Plagg was right. I let my feelings for Ladybug get in the way of everything else. I was really, really mean to the people I really care about." Adrien said and Tikki sighed.

"I'm sure that your friends will forgive you. But that is a problem you can deal with later." Tikki said and Adrien sat up.

"I know, now I have to focus on Masquerade, and she has turned the whole city into her mask-wearing followers." Adrien said and Tikki grabbed another macaroon.

"What do you think we should do?" Tikki asked.

"I mean, I guess I could get the masks wet. I noticed upstairs that the masks dissolve in water." Adrien said and Tikki nodded.

"Makes sense. Most masks are made out of paper or cardboard, so water would be a natural enemy." Tikki said.

"Well, I suppose I could get a fire hose and free the Parisians with a fire truck." Adrien said.

"But what if Masquerade throws a mask at the hose or the truck? She made a metal fence come alive and attack you." Tikki pointed out and Adrien blinked.

"Well, what if I go around and I break the fire hydrants?" Adrien asked and Tikki shook her head.

"I don't think so, Adrien. That would take quite a long time, and Masquerade could always send out a second wave of masks." Tikki pointed out and Adrien grunted.

" then I guess I'll do as Ladybug does and take out the source." Adrien said and he stood up.

"Do you know what you're going to do?" Tikki asked.

"Whose in there!" Someone yelled as they punched the door.

"I'll need to lure her to water somehow. If the duplicate masks are made out of paper, then hers should be too." Adrien said and Tikki took a final bite of macaroon and flew into the air.

"I'm charged, but how will you lure her without a partner?" Tikki said and Adrien sighed.

"Perhaps I could free one person. Someone who is completely mellow, without a grudge on Adrien or Cat Noir. And someone who could get the attention of all of Paris." Adrien said and he unlocked the second door, but saw people rushing towards his so he closed the door again and quickly relocked it.

"Do you know anyone like that?" Tikki asked and Adrien looked around for another exit

"Nino would get nervous, Alya would probably have a secret grudge I don't know about and... hm... there might be one person. He is a new friend of mine, so I don't really know much about him." Adrien said as more people banged on the door.

"Someone get the key Adrien is in there!" Someone shouted and Adrien dove into the dumbwaiter.

"Seems like it's my only shot to get Masquerade's Akuma and save Ladybug." Adrien said and Tikki shut the dumbwaiter seat before the doors threw open.

"Sounds like something Ladybug would do. I support you." Tikki said and Adrien hoped that he was right.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters, or the music in this chapter.

Chapter 9,

Lady Noir borrowed two squirt guns from the pool house and two bottles of water from a cleaning cart he passed. He knew that he needed these things since the masks would surely cover every roof in Paris. But he needed the help of the one person he could think of that just might be immune to the power of Masquerade's masks.

"Come on, where is it?" Lady Noir muttered amongst himself. He stood and looked out at the water.

"Wasn't it right around here?" He thought out loud, but then he heard a loud laugh. Lady Noir looked down and saw Juleka and her mother chasing Roger the cop.

"Come on and face me, Roger." Captain Anarka screamed.

"Well, if she's there, then her boat has got to be close." Lady Noir said and he looked around slowly and carefully. He didn't want to move a muscle, for if he did, he might bump a mask and be a goner.

"Sails!" Lady Noir exclaimed and he jumped towards the boat and squirted the water guns to soak the area he was gonna land on to dissolve the masks. When he got close he examined the boat to see if his target was there.

"No movement on the deck..." Lady Noir said and then he noticed a flask of blue in one of the portholes.

"There he is." Lady Noir said and he cautiously made his way there. Thankfully the side of the boat was nearly mask free, so he could dangle there without worry. Lady Noir peered inside and saw Luka sitting on the bed, playing his guitar as if nothing was wrong. For a moment, Lady Noir wondered if Luka even had a mask on. Lady Noir went ahead and knocked on the glass of the porthole.

"Hello?" Luka said and he stood up and stared out of his bedroom door. Lady Noir smiled a little, then knocked again. This time Luka turned to the porthole and Lady Noir was disappointed that Luka indeed had a mask.

"Hello Cat Noir, or should I call you Ladybug?" Luka asked with the worlds softest chuckle.

"I'm glad that you aren't unhappy to see me." Lady Noir said and Luka smiled.

"Of course I feel some emotional discomfort around you because of the mask. But honestly I can logically understand that you are simply trying to save the day; like the day my mother got akumatized." Luka said and Lady Noir blinked.

"Do you think you can help me stop Masquerade?" Lady Noir asked, not wanting to waste anymore time.

"Are you sure that I am the one who can help you?" Luka asked and Lady Noir smiled.

"I trust you, so I am sure." Lady Noir said.

"Well, alright. I'm sure that my mother and sister would be happier as once they are themselves again." Luka said and Lady Noir sighed in relief.

"Ok, then. Go ahead and grab your guitar and meet me on the deck." Lady Noir said and he pulled a squirt gun out and went up the ship. Lady Noir started squirting a large circle and stepped on that. Luka didn't take long to meet Lady Noir and blinked at the circle.

"If the masks were that easy to destroy, then why didn't you just dissolve mine?" Luka asked.

"Because it's like you're immune. You can safely walk on the masks whereas I can not." Lady Noir said and Luka blinked.

"Ok, I get it." Luka said.

"Come on, take my hand. We got some work to do." Lady Noir said and the two swung off the boat.

Masquerade was storming all of Paris to find Adrien and Lady Noir. Hawk Moth allowed her to do this. He found it very interesting that Cat Noir was using Ladybug's miraculous. There wasn't a very good reason that for Cat Noir to have them. At least not a reason that Car Noir bothered to explain. It doesn't really matter, though. The sooner Masquerade captured Lady Noir, the sooner he would win.

"Does someone hear music?" Masquerade asked as she suddenly heard the iconic opening to Thunderstruck. The sound progressively got louder. Masquerade looked around at the people who surrounded her. So many of them she recognized for reasons she could not remember. The sound grew louder, and she stretched her fingers and walked towards the increasing sound. Her masked minions started to follow her.

After a short walk, they arrived to the iconic Fontaires de la Concorde, where someone has put together a stage out of knocked over billboards and benches. Standing on this mock-stage was a boy with blue hair. Seeing this boy play on his guitar made Masquerade feel strange for reasons she couldn't remember. All she really understood was that she cared about this blue haired boy. Even though he was a stranger to her.

Lady Noir's heart was beating out of his chest. If this didn't work, then he didn't know what to do. He watched Masquerade as she eyed Luka playing. The plan was simple in itself. When Masquerade got close to the fountain, Lady Noir would trip of push Masquerade into the water and it would destroy the mask. After all, some of the simplest plans worked the best.

The music Masquerade heard made her blood rush, which only fueled her anger. She painted and looked around the crowd, looking for Adrien, but she didn't see the blond heartbreaker anywhere.

"Thunder!" Luka sang, the crowd sang the background vocals. Lady Noir smiled. Music has such an influencial power over emotions, that Lady Noir knew the parisians would be all over Luka's music. After all, Masquerade's power was to help people express their emotion, which made them the perfect audience.

"Ugh!" Masquerade groaned, and she threw a mask at one of the benches that held the stage up. The bench appeared under her feet and Luka's eyes widened at the stage sloping. Lady Noir shot the yo-yo at Luka, pulled Luka up to the roof where Lady Noir was hiding.

"Lady Noir, prepare to give me Adrien and your miraculous!" Masquerade shouted and all of her masked ones rushed towards the building, climbing up it as much as they could.

"Quick, start playing again." Lady Noir said, spinning the yo-yo to shield Luka.

"Why would that be helpful?" Luka asked, expressing some of his anger at their situation.

"The masks make people more emotional, if we are lucky then the mob will be so emotionally focused on your music that I can deal with Masquerade directly." Lady Noir said, pushing some people away from the roof with the yo-you

"What should I play?" Luka asked and Lady Noir bit his lip.

"Something to cancel out the anger. A happy feel good song might work. A slow sad song might make them physically slow down. Though your teacher did teach you that stories have happy endings because true love conquers all." Lady Noir said and Luka took a deep breath.

"Feel good, slow, love song." Luka muttered and he bit his lip as one song came to mind. Luka started strumming his guitar and humming, and instantly the crowd paused. Most of them recognized the iconic intro to this well known song. Lady Noir quickly noticed this, but the biggest obstacle was if Masquerade still had them under her control.

"Get Lady Noir!" Masquerade yelled. She felt herself calming down, but Hawk Moth kept her angry.

"I may not always love you, but long as there are stars above you. You never need to doubt it. I'll make you so sure about it." Luka sang with his heart and Lady Noir watched the crowd surrender and he knew that Luka was safe, so he left the roof so he could face Masquerade.

"God only knows what I'd be without you." Luka and the crowd sand and Hawk Moth growled.

"Masquerade send a mask up to this guitarist, he has swept away your crowd." Hawk Moth said, grinding his teeth. Lady Noir spun the yo-yo and started charging at Masquerade.

"But it's... nice." Masquerade whispered, which Lady Noir heard and then he slowed to a stop when Masquerade's body started to shake. Masquerade was in terrible pain, it felt like lightning was traveling through her blood, electrifying every atom of her body and it completely blacked out her thoughts and her sight.

Lady Noir stood in shock. He wondered if this is what happens when Hawk Moth voluntarily takes the powers away from someone. After all, it's never been done, so he, didn't know what it would look like. Masquerade's eyes clouded over and she trembled so much that she fell to her knees. Lady Noir took a step towards her, but forced himself to stay at a distance in case this were a trap.

Tears fell on Masquerade's cheeks as she tried to scream, but no sound was heard, then she collapsed. Lady Noir's heart ached, like the day Ladybug jumped inside the T-Rex's mouth. His hands trembled, he stayed where he was, but knelt down and rolled the yo-yo over to Masquerade. When it hit her, she lunged at the toy so violently that Lady Noir fell back; and he gasped at the masked villain. Masquerade's eyes had turned blackish-purple. It was the same color as akuma's actually.

"You won't get away this time Lady Noir." Masquerade said, but her voice sounded different. Like two voices speaking at once; Masquerade's and...

"Hawk Moth?" Lady Noir's eyes widened when he came to this realization. Masquerade smiled softly.

"I've come for your miraculous, Lady Noir Masquerade said and Lady Noir growled. At this point Ladybug was gone, trapped with Hawk Moth, and he did not like it.

"Bring it on Mothie." Lady Noir said. Masquerade shot several masks at the stones beneath their feet. The stones lifted from the ground and catapulted towards Lady Noir. The first two broke against the yo-yo shield, the third one hit his hand, which bruised him more than anything else. The fourth one hit his shoulder and threw him a good 5 feet in the air and he crashed down. Or at least he would have, if Masquerade allowed him to fall peacefully. Instead there were stones floating in the air, which Lady Noir hit on his way down. So by the time Lady Noir did hit the floor, he had a busted lip, a black eye, and a cracked rib.

Lady Noir hissed in pain, but he stood up anyways. Ladybug needed him now, more than ever. He looked up and saw Masquerade in the air walking towards him, using the loose blocks to carry her as she did so. It was a little scary for Lady Noir, there is no doubt. If Hawk Moth could hurt him so badly after controlling Masquerade for 30 seconds, then just think of all the damage he could do when he understands what he's doing.

"Lucky Charm!" Lady Noir shouted, the magic travelled up into the air. It took shape, but a stone punch it out of the way before Lady Noir could see what it was. Lady Noir held his side to help ease the pain, and then he dodged five of the blocks before he hooked on to one of them and sailed away from Masquerade's like of sight. Lady Noir let go before he hit the wall. But he needed to find that Lucky Charm.

"Run away, kitty, kitty; but I'll still find you." Masquerade's voice echoed eerily and Lady Noir shuddered.

"The other stones came this way, that Lucky Charm has got to be here somewhere." Lady Noir whispered to himself and he glanced back carefully at where he called the charm.

"I was standing about there, the charm would have been about there when it got hit, and the speed would have launched it..." Lady Noir paused as he imagined where the charm went.

"Down... that alley." Lady Noir said with a sigh. He quickly ran over to it without getting seen, and he searched the alley. Following the trajectory he soon found it. The Lucky Charm was a roll of bubblegum tape. But the outer container broke when it hit the trash bin, and the gum itself was sitting in a puddle of water. Lady Noir grimaced as he picked it up with two fingers.

"Oh, man... I don't know if I can still use this Lucky Charm." Lady Noir groaned.

"Surrender, Lady Noir!" Masquerade's voice boomed and it shocked Lady Noir. Thinking it was the yo-yo, Lady Noir unraveled the bubblegum tape and threw it at Masquerade. The gum wrapped all around her, right as a mummy.

"Huh?" Both Masquerade and Lady Noir said. Lady Noir spun the yo-yo at Masquerade's feet and she growled. The rock she was standing on moved up and out of the alley, dragging Lady Noir as she did. She tried to shake Lady Noir off as she stretched her arms to break her sticky prison. Masquerade was really angry now, and she needed the cat to let go of her so she could concentrate on her freedom. Lady Noir tried tugging on the rock to make Masquerade lose her balance. When that failed, he decided to just climb up the yo-yo to Masquerade and take her mask.

Lady Noir got to Masquerade's feet before she realized what was happening. She stomped on his hands and the yo-yo so that both fell. Lady Noir rolled right next to the fountain, and he looked up at Masquerade. He was hidden for the moment, but stayed alert in case he needed to run quickly. Masquerade twisted and turned, and she managed to rip two handfuls of gum off of her, but she still couldn't touch her own mask.

Lady Noir gasped as an idea came to mind and waited patiently. Masquerade took a deep breath and focused. Her mask multiplied once, and this mask floated down on the bubblegum tape and it disappeared off her and onto the street. Masquerade looked down and she didn't see Lady Noir, so she lowered herself to the ground to. She figured that Lady Noir would charge at her the second she was in range, and then he would be vulnerable and she could steal his miraculous. To be fair, Lady Noir would have done this if he didn't have a plan.

He cautiously moved around the fountain to stay out of Masquerade line of sight. He still needed that bubblegum. Lady Noir's plan really fell into place when Masquerade turned to Luka and the crowd to see if Lady Noir was hiding in the hypnotized crowd. He needed to be fast, he spread the gum out in front of the fountain, then he walked to the other side and dropped down. He pulled his leg close to his body and made sure that his hair was exposed.

"Ow, my ankle. I think it's broken." Lady Noir said and Masquerade whipped around and ran towards the noise. She saw the top of Lady Noir's head and she laughed.

"No where to run now, kitty." She said and she put her fingers on her mask and-

"What?" Masquerade said, when she realized that her hand to pull her right hand off of her mask, but now this hand was stuck too.

"I guess you didn't get rid of all the gun when you escaped." Lady Noir said and Masquerade tried to run at him, but she couldn't move. She looked down and realized that she was stuck; standing in bubblegum. Masquerade jerked her arms, her legs, feet, until finally she lost her balance and fell into the fountain. Her mask dissolved and the Akuma was released.

"No more evil doing for you little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!" Lady Noir said, swinging the yo-yo around and catching the creature.

"Bye Bye, Butterfly." He said, he quickly picked up the gum and threw that in the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug." Lady Noir said and was glad when the magical ladybugs healed all of his battle wounds. But now he needed to leave. Not only because he was about to change back, but if he left now, then he wouldn't know Ladybug's secret identity.

"Ah (deep breath, cough) aah!" Lady Noir heard, and he paused. Masquerade was still in the fountain, struggling to breathe.

"I gotcha." He practically done into the fountain, and picked up his Ladybug, bridal style. She was panting against his chest, so he didn't see her face right away.

"Are you alright?" He asked the girl nodded and lifted her head and Lady Noir gasped.

"Marinette?" He whispered, not being able to believe his eyes. Marinette was Ladybug all this time?

"Thank you for saving me." Marinette said weakly, and Lady Noir gently placed her down and she swayed for a moment, but then she was fine.

"I-I..." Lady Noir couldn't stop thinking about the past. Remembering the times when he tried to win over his bugaboo, and she always said that she loved his friendship, but loved another. But Lady Noir heard his earring beeping and he had to leave.

"I need to go. But would it be alright if I checked on you later." Lady Noir asked and Marinette blinked at him.

"Uh, that would be fine." Marinette consented and Lady Noir swung the yo-yo.

"Ok, see you tonight." Lady Noir said, swinging out of sight.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 10,

"How's he doing?" Plagg asked Tikki who sighed.

"Still adjusting." Tikki said. The two kwami's stayed in the kitchen while Adrien and Master Fu sat in the sitting room. Adrien's hands covered his face and he didn't say much; other than the occasional 'I'm stupid' or a pained groan.

"Adrien, drink some tea. Tea helps stabilize the body and the mind." Master Fu said and Adrien lowered his hands slightly so his eyes were exposed, and looked at the tea. Then he remembered how Marinette looked up at him, and Adrien groaned and fell into his back. Master Fu sighed.

"Sitting, or laying down, the answer to your concerns will not come without conversation and cooperation." Master Fu said and Adrien placed his hand down beside him.

"My mind is running a mile a minute. I don't even know where to start." Adrien said and Master Fu nodded.

"Start with the obvious truth. Say, out loud, 'Marinette is Ladybug, Ladybug is Marinette'. Then take a breath and say it again." Master Fu said and Adrien looked at him.

"Marinette is Ladybug, Ladybug is Marinette... Marinette is Ladybug, Ladybug is Marinette." Adrien said softly and it did calm him down, even if it didn't make him feel better.

"Alright, now I want you to repeat this whenever you feel overwhelmed. Even if it is just mentally." Master Fu said.

"Do you really think a mantra is the best answer?" Adrien asked and Master Fu nodded.

"At least for now. You see Marinette and Ladybug a lot. You need to remain calm so that Hawk Moth does not learn Ladybug's secret identity." Master Fu said and Adrien went ahead and sat up.

"I understand." Adrien said, sipping the tea.

"Now, let us focus on this issue; one detail at a time." Master Fu said and Adrien's heart ached.

"I hurt Marinette, and that's why she turned into Masquerade." Adrien said and Master Fu blinked.

"That explains her desire to find you. Why did you hurt Marinette?" Master Fu asked and Adrien wipes his eyes. He didn't even realize that he was crying.

"It all seems so stupid now. Plagg and I got in a fight and Chloe pushed me around, and Marinette touched my shoulder and I turned around, and..." Adrien sighed.

"What did you and Plagg fight about?" Master Fu asked, glancing at the kitchen door.

"He doesn't like how obsessed I get over Ladybug, and he said he knew who Ladybug was, and refused to help me win over Ladybug, and he said Ladybug will never love. So we argued." Adrien paused when he heard a noise from the kitchen.

"Ow! Tikki!" He heard Plagg say, and then Adrien continued.

"Then there was Chloe, then there was Marinette. And after practice I saw Masquerade and all this happened." Adrien said and Master Fu sighed.

"Someone once told me that it takes 100 compliments to balance out one insult." Master Fu said and Adrien bit his lip.

"It will take me over a thousand just to make Marinette forgive me. But what if she never forgives me? And if she never forgives Adrien, and she learns my identity as Cat Noir, then what if she stops trusting Cat Noir. Then we'll stop being an unstoppable team." Adriensaid and Master Fu put a hand on Adrien's shoulder.

"Listen, I understand your concern.

"But I have a sneaky feeling that you will eventually earn back Marinette's trust." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked.

"Why do you say that?" Adrien asked and Master Fu smiled.

"Because I **know** that Ladybug and Cat Noir are an unstoppable team. And even though you never realized it, that means Adrien and Marinette are **also** an unstoppable team." Master Fu said and Adrien paused. He and Marinette rarely worked together, and if they were alone together, she often got extra silly or klutzy, and at times panicked. It was hard to imagine them working together, even if he enjoyed her company.

"I don't know. I never thought about it like that before." Adrien admitted.

"You're still worried about Marinette forgiving you or not." Master Fu stated and Adrien nodded.

"I am. Saying 'I'm sorry' just doesn't seem like it's enough. What else can I do to prove to her that her friendship means the world to me?" Adrien asked and Master Fu pulled back his hand and thought for a moment.

"So many people want a quick fix to solve their problems. But a grand gesture is meaningless when trust is gone." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked in confusion. Was this a riddle or a trick question. Because it didn't sound like a solution.

"So what do you think I should do?" Adrien asked and Master Fu say in front of his tea and took a sip.

"You need to say you're sorry. Be sincere, be vulnerable, be private. You don't need to airlift a store of roses to her door. That might woo her or it can make her angry, but it won't gain her forgiveness." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked.

"What if she forgives me, but she still doesn't trust me?" Adrien asked.

"Trust must be earned. Be patient and be her friend and you'll start to gain it back." Master Fu said and Adrien looked down at his tea.

"What else is bothering you?" Master Fu asked and Adrien shook his head.

"I still feel really guilty for making Marinette an easy target for Hawk Moth. I mean that last fight Hawk Moth took over and her eyes turned black." Adrien said, sipping his tea.

"Ladybug has a instinct deep in her soul to help others and keep them from harm. It was so deeply programmed that Hawk Moth couldn't make Marinette forget it. When he finally had enough, he completely took over her." Master Fu said and Adrien shook his head.

"I didn't even know he had the power to do that." Adrien said.

"He hasn't been forced to do so." Master Fusaid simply.

"I know, but still." Adrien said.

"Finish your tea, Cat Noir. Or should I call you Lady Noir." Master Fusaid with a smirk and Adrien rolled his eyes.

"It was the first name I could come up with." Adrien said with a smile. Seeing the smile, the two Kwami's exited the kitchen and went over to the humans.

"Adrien, I just want to say that I'm proud of you for taking on this important battle. Ladybug was wise to place her trust in you." Tikki said and Adrien blushed.

"You really are good at pep talks, cutie bug." Adrien said and Tikki giggled.

"Yeah, thanks Tik. I wouldn't want him moping the rest of the day." Plagg said and Tikki crosses her arms.

"I've asked you for thousands of years to not call me Tik. I don't like it." Tikki said and Plagg shrugged.

"Say Tikki, do you know how I can make things right with Marinette? You know her best after all." Adrien asked and Tikki paused for a moment.

"Well, after you apologize, I think it would be best if you simply made an effort to spend time with her. She'll probably say no a few times, but you keep trying, and she'll know how sorry you are. Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day." Tikki said and this made Adrien smile.

"Big deal, it was destroyed in one day." Plagg said and Adrien blinked and hung his head.

"And who burned down Rome?" Tikki asked and Plagg hesitated.

"Well, some historians believed Nero did." Plagg said, with an awkward chuckle and Adrien watched Tikki and Master Fu glare at the black Kwami.

"But we know that you caused the fire." Tikki said.

"Yet another reason your powers are too dangerous without an owner." Master Fu said and Adrien blinked.

"I didn't know you could use your cataclysm." Adrien said and Plagg shrugged.

"Back to the point at hand, Adrien." Tikki said, returning the conversation back to the main topic.

"You both have been friends for a long time, and I know that you both care a lot about each other. So much so, that I'm sure your friendship will still survive past this. At least, as long as you keep showing up for Mar-" bubbles filled Tikki's mouth.

"Excuse me. Keep showing up for Ladybug." Tikki said with a smile.

"I hope it's that simple Tikki." Adrien said, not knowing something else that was better.

"Besides, I think you're forgetting something important." Tikki said and Adrien looked at the happy Kwami.

"What's that?" Adrien asked.

"You're lucky enough to have Ladybug's two closest allies to talk you up." Tikki said, and Adrien blinked.

"I do? Who?" Adrien asked.

"Well, there's me, and there's Cat Noir." Tikki said and Adrien paused.

"Cat...? I... can I do that?" Cat Noir thought out loud and Tikki nodded.

"You did tell her that you wanted to go check up on her later. Perhaps after Adrien apologizes, Cat Noir can show up and take her for a night out on the town." Tikki said and Adrien smiled.

"That's kinda... brilliant, Tikki." Adrien said and Plagg's stomach rumbled.

"Let's go home and eat already. If we don't leave now, then we may not get another chance. I mean with Chloe's fashion thing, and you apologizing to Marinette, and then taking her out on a date; you still got a busy night ahead of you." Plagg said and Adrien's eyes widened and he blushed deeply.

"D-date? Would that really be a date?" Adrien asked, suddenly panicking.

"Plagg, stop making things worse. Adrien it won't be a date, not this time. You'll just be her friend and make her feel better." Tikki said and Adrien took a deep breath.

"After all this drama, I don't think either of us have the heart for a date." Adrien said and then he looked down at his ring.

"It's good to have this back." Adrien said and Tikki giggles.

"The ring better suits you anyways." Tikki said.

"But, for once, Plagg is right. I do need to get going." Adrien stood up, and Master Fu handed him a bag.

"Make sure to use these. They will help reduce redness, prevent infection, and in time your eyes should heal properly. If we're lucky the holes will plug up, as if you've never had pierced ears." Master Fu said and Adrien nodded.

"Thank you." Adrien said and then he turned to Tikki.

"I hope we get the chance to speak again." Adrien said.

"I'm sure we will, and I look forward to it." Tikki said, and then Adrien carefully shook her hand then left with Plagg. Adrien was starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but he wasn't the only one.

Gabriel Agreste stood in his office, staring at the picture of his beloved wife. Nathalie entered the room with her clipboard.

"You requested me?" Nathalie said and Gabriel turned to her.

"Tell me, Nathalie. Can you think of any reason why miss Ladybug did not fight today?" Gabriel asked and Nathalie blinked.

"Perhaps she's sick. Cat Noir said that she wasn't feeling like herself." Nathalie said and Gabriel nodded.

"That is exactly what Cat Noir said. He didn't say that she had the sniffles, or she was under the weather, or she had a fever. He said that she didn't feel like herself." Gabriel said and Nathalie paused.

"What are you suggesting, sir?" She asked and Gabriel pulled up two photos. A picture of Ladybug from the Ladyblog, and Adrien's class picture. Gabriel zoomed the class photo in on Marinette.

"I wonder if this Marinette girl I akumatized is Ladybug, and that's why Cat Noir had to wear the Ladybug Miraculous." Gabriel said and Nathalie blinked.

"If you're correct sir, then wouldn't she have the earrings on when she got akumatized?" Nathalie suggested.

"Perhaps. Still I would like to keep a close eye on this girl to see if I am correct." Gabriel said.

"Well, she is a friend of Adrien's." Nathalie said and Gabriel waved her off and walked over to the window.

"No, no, not good enough. It's well established that I don't approve of Adrien having friends over. I occasionally allow Lila, but it would be suspicious if I suddenly allowed this Marinette girl to come over." Gabriel said and Nathalie rapped her pen against her bottom lip.

"Perhaps she could be your intern. She did design a hat for one of your shows." Nathalie suggested.

"Good, but it's not quite right. If she isn't Ladybug, then I'm stuck with teaching her instead of finding the real Ladybug." Gabriel said and they both stood in silence as they thought.

"What about another contest? One that helps promote fashion. It's in your wheelhouse, and you have an excuse for having the girl over without being fully committed to the cause." Nathalie said and Gabriel turned to her again.

"I like it. I like it a lot. But Paris is the fashion capital of the world. Why would I need to promote fashion when I'm already a success?" Gabriel asked and Nathalie bit her lip.

"Perhaps if it were promotions for the Americans. They don't have the same sense of style as we do." Nathalie and Gabriel smiled.

"Perfect. Then we simply need to ensure that we pick Marinette's idea. If it's brilliant then we'll promote in America. If it's terrible, we pretend to promote in America. Oh, Nathalie you're so wonderfully brilliant." Gabriel said and he went over and hugged her.

She was frozen for a moment. The blush heating up her face. Then Nathalie hugged Gabriel back, softly inhaling his scent.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 11,

Adrien wanted to sprint to Marinette's place to apologize, but he needed to be at Chloe's fashion thing. After all, he was ordered to go. When Adrien and his bodyguard walked into the hotel, the first thing the young hero noticed was how many of his classmates were there. Adrien was confused by this and thought maybe he had gone to the wrong location.

"Adri-kins!" Chloe rushed over and hugged him. The odd thing is that this hug was uncharacteristally gentle and sweet.

"Are you ok?" Adrien asked, wondering if maybe she was sick or sad.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you." Chloe pulled away and gestures to the class.

"What do you think?" Chloe asked and Adrien hesitated a moment.

"You asked them to be here?" Adrien asked, and Chloe nodded.

"I realized that you were right earlier." Chloe said and Adrien couldn't hide his surprise.

"I don't know about that. I was kind of a jerk to you, and I'm sorry about that." Adrien said and Chloe lowered her gaze.

"I guess we were both jerks. It wasn't fair of me to ask you to do this show as the only male model. I was being childish, and I decided to ask our class to do the show with us." Chloe said and Adrien slowly smiled.

"Wow. That's really cool of you Chloe." Adrien said and Chloe giggled.

"Of course I called dibs on all the best outfits. The recycled products can be worn by Rose, Marinette, Juleka, or one of the others." Chloe said and Adrien blinked. Was Marinette really here?

"Now, daddy reserved rooms on the second floor for everyone to change in. That way, we can have some sort of privacy. Let me just go get your room key, and then you could change." Chloe said, and Adrien was surprised that Chloe did this herself instead of making Sabrina do it for her.

"Hello again, Adrien." Adrien turned and he saw Luka walking over to him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Adrien asked.

"I'm here with Juleka. She can be pretty shy, and I thought she could use the moral support." Luka said. The two sat down and Luka pulled out his guitar and started strumming it softly.

"You know, you saved Paris with your music." Adrien said and Luka smiled.

"My music was a forgettable detail. The real hero today was Cat Noir." Luka said.

"Well, I'm sure that he couldn't have saved the day without you." Adrien said and Luka shrugged.

"Perhaps." Luka said, and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

"Something troubling you?" Luka saw the concern in Adrien's heart, and needed to ask.

"It's just... I kinda hurt a friend earlier, and I need to apologize to her, but I'm still nervous about it." Adrien admitted.

"Trust in yourself Adrien. I'm sure you'll know what to say when the moment is right." Luka said and Adrien smiled at him.

"I hope you're right. Thanks Luka." Adrien said.

"Alright Adrien, I found the key for your room and- uh... who are you?" Chloe said when she first noticed Luka, handing the key to Adrien.

"Oh, you haven't met Luka, Chloe? This is Juleka's brother Luka. Luka this is my oldest friend, Chloe." Adrien introduced and Luka smiled at Chloe, who smiled which confused Adrien.

"Uh, well, it's a pleasure to meet you Luka. It's always fascinating to me when I meet someone who doesn't know me." Chloe said, walking over and holding her hand out to the mature boy.

"Of course I know you, Chloe. Juleka will often times tell us about her school adventures." Luka said, right before he took Chloe's hand and kissed the top of it sweetly.

"I, uh, I don't recall having a room for you, Luka. I can easily get you on that runway. Then your face will be in the best magazines money can buy." Chloe said, crossing her arms over her chest to give her a more dignified look.

"I don't need that." Luka said and Chloe blinked.

"That's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Everyone wants to be famous and remembered forever." Chloe said and Luka shrugged.

"If I were to become famous, I would hope that it would be for the things I put my heart into; instead of what I put my face on." Luka said and Chloe found herself dumbfounded. She just didn't know how to respond to this character. Fame and popularity was everything to a person... wasn't it?

"Alright. Maybe you can help model Jagged's line of hoodies. Some of them zip all the way up the face. Once it's closed, it has a picture of Jagged. Each version is from different album covers." Chloe said, holding the clipboard to her chest. Adrien's eyes moved from Chloe to Luka and back to Chloe. He had never seen Chloe like this. Was she sick? It was almost like she were acting like... like... who did Adrien know that acted that way? Hesitant, a bit shy, yet pretending like everything was super great.

"Alright, Chloe, that sounds fun. I suppose it wouldn't be to bad for my first modeling gig, huh, Adrien?" Luka said. Chloe blushed a little and stared at the clipboard in her hands. For a brief moment, she kinda forgot that Adrien was sitting right there. Adrien wasn't exactly sure what was happening with Chloe. It almost looked like she was falling in love with Luka. But Chloe wasn't the type of girl to fall in love at first sight... was she?

"Uh, yeah... does... sound fun." Adrien said, eyeing Chloe with slight concern.

"So fun. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun. Adrien I was wondering how you met Luka." Chloe asked and Adrien smiled. Chloe was in love with Luka. Otherwise she wouldn't ask for personal details, especially during an event she cared so much about. It was cute to finally see her falling for someone. But did Luka feel the same?

"Well, during that music festival. I went over to Juleka's houseboat to listen to the band over friends created. Luka is in the band." Adrien said and Chloe scoffed.

"A houseboat? Are you kidding me?" Chloe said automatically and Adrien looked over at Luka, who looked hurt.

"Uh... because I always wanted to see one of those." Chloe said hesitantly and Luka smiled softly.

"You know it's almost humorous." Luka said which confused Adrien and Chloe.

"What is?" Chloe asked and Luka straightened his guitar.

"I hear two songs playing in you." Luka said, and he started strumming, which caused Chloe to sit next to Luka.

"The first one is a fast paced power cord." Luka said, and he played a quick portion of the song.

"The second one is a slow, heartwarming, Barre chord." Luka played this one and Chloe felt weird, but in a nice way.

"Both are well developed pieces of music. But they aren't really working together; they seem to be fighting for dominance. Together they make a highly intriguing Arpeggio, though it may not be the most harmonious way to live." Luka said and even though Adrien didn't really understand this music Luka was talking about, it looked as if Chloe knew exactly what Luka meant. Adrien wondered if this had anything to do with what Chloe had felt earlier. She couldn't hold back her tears when Masquerade showed her that picture.

"No, I uh... suppose it's not harmonious." Chloe admittedly softly.

"Don't feel ashamed Chloe. No matter what you feel, your emotions are what make you who you are." Luka said and Chloe looked down.

"Uh-huh." She muttered.

"Besides, if you didn't already know, your inner song is pretty hypnotizing." Luka said. Chloe blinked and looked back at Luka.

"Hypnotizing?" Chloe asked. Neither had noticed Adrien slowly backing out of the picture. If Chloereally was falling in love, then he certainly didn't want to ruin it by being too close.

"Yes. You seem like a pretty cool chick, Chloe. Would you like to play my guitar?" Luka asked and Chloe giggled to hide her nervous energy.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't even know where to begin. I don't know how to play the guitar, or any other musical instruments for that matter." Chloe said and Luka smiled.

"Well, if you were ever interested in learning how to play, I would be honored to be your teacher." Luka said. That's the last thing Adrien heard. Well, that's not true. He did hear the two of them laughing and that just warmed his heart. Adrien had his room key in hand and he knew that he needed to go up and put on his first outfit. But he wasn't sure when he had to go on, so he thought it would be best to find Sabrina first. After some asking around , he found Sabrina right next to the stage. The place was packed.

"Alright, Nino, start the music and the automatic introduction. Max get ready to read the cards as the models walk down the runway." Sabrina said into her headset. Though it was dark, Adrien recognized her voice and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Oh! Chloe, you'll be happy to know that things are running smoothly." Sabrina said.

"I'm Adrien, not Chloe." Adrien whispered and Sabrina chuckled nervously.

"Sorry, Adrien, it's dark. I'm expecting Chloe and I saw the blond hair." Sabrina explained.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I just got my room key and wanted to know if my clothes were in the room and when I was on." Adrien said. Being a less professional event, he wasn't sure how this show would be different.

"You're clothes are in the room already. You should really get your first outfit on. Chloe thought it would be fun to start off the Miraculous inspired outfits. And you get to wear the Ladybug inspired suit." Sabrina said and Adrien blinked.

"Miraculous inspired, huh?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah, and the suit is fantastic. Oh, the lights are out, come see the first formal dress." Sabrina encouraged, and Adrien couldn't say no.

"We've decided to take the beginning portion of this show and dedicate it to those brave souls that save Paris." Max said and out came a model. It was hard to see her face until the spotlight turned on. Adrien took a deep breath when he saw that this model was Marinette.

"This is a Cat Noir inspired floor-length formal." Max said as Marinette walked down the catwalk. Adrien could hardly focus on the words Max said. Marinette was wearing a black dress, with a sweetheart neckline and ruffles in the skirt. But it had some rough diagonal lines on the dress, which were lime green and signified a large cat scratch. She also had a yellow sash on her stomach, which symbolized the bell on the Cat Noir costume. Then Marinette reached behind her and pulled out some metal stick, which resembled his own. Marinette extended the stick, and walked with it as if it were a cane. Then she pushed a button and the top of the cane produced a metal mask and she held the metal creation up to her face for a moment before putting it away again. When Marinette was at the end of the catwalk, Adrien thought he heard Max say the word 'cataclysm', and Marinette held her gloves together and a colored smoke then appeared in her hands. Adrien thought she was just, drop dead gorgeous, but there was one detail that Adrien focused on more then anything else. Which was that Marinette didn't smile once. He knew lots of models would keep a professional or bored expression during a show, but that wasn't Marinette. It wasn't like his lady at all.

"Ok, ok, you better run along now, and get back here pronto." Sabrina said, gently pushing Adrien away from the curtain. And as much as Adrien wanted to object and insist that he stay so he could talk to Marinette, he knew this business all to well.

In no time Adrien was up in his room, changing into the Ladybug suit sadly. Plagg was watching Adrien, but he didn't know what to say. Tikki and Master Fu were always better at cheering someone up, where as Plagg felt like he just ruined everything. He always blamed it on the power of destruction he wields. The ability to destroy physical objects and, he figured, everything else that wasn't physical. Adrien is a sweet kid, but after one conversation with Plagg, he blew his temper. If Plagg wasn't so good at destroying things like hope, then maybe Adrien wouldn't be so sad now. But soon Plagg heard some talking, and he pressed up against the wall to hear better.

"What are you doing?" Adrien asked, when he noticed the Kwami move.

"Shh." Plagg hushed as he listened. After a moment, the Kwami disappeared through the wall.

"Plagg, come back, what if they see you?" Adrien said and the Kwami quickly returned with a large smile on his face.

"Marinette's in the next room, and Alyssa is about to leave. This is your chance to apologize." Plagg said and Adrien gasped. He walked out of the room, all decked out in his suit, and took a deep breath when he saw Alya walking out the door. He rushed over before the door closed and peeked inside. Marinette was sitting at a vanity, with her head down on the wood she was still wearing that beautiful dress, so she hasn't been in the room long. Adrien's hands were shaking, but it was now or never. He opened the door and knocked. Marinette lifted her head, and saw Adrien in the mirror. She turned around and they locked eyes. They stood in silence for about 5 seconds, but it felt like an eternity. After this quick eternity, Marinette looked down in sadness, and it broke Adrien's heart. He slowly walked over to her. What was he gonna say? What was he gonna do? How was she gonna react.

"You're as beautiful as I am stupid." Adrien said, and then he blushed at his own words. That was hardly an apology. But it did take Marinette by surprise and she stared at him with those same blue bell eyes he would stare at whenever he saw a picture of Ladybug. How has he never noticed Marinette had those one of a kind eyes?

"Oh, Marinette, I don't blame you not talking to me. I was a real heart to you earlier." Adrien said and he walked over to Marinette.

"I know it will never, ever be enough, but I want you to know that I'm really sorry for the way I acted." Adrien said, and though it wasn't good for the suit, he got down on his knees and Marinette blushed at this submissive act.

"Your friendship means the world to me, Marinette. It would break my heart if I were to lose you." Adrien said, and Marinette blushed deeper. She didn't know what to say, so she just said nothing.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, or your friendship. And..." Adrien hesitated, he didn't want to say this next part. But he pulled something out of his pocket, and held it close to his heart.

"And that's how I know that I don't deserve this." Adrien said, and he held out the lucky charm Marinette gave him. The same lucky charm he carried everywhere, even into battle. He had grown quite attached to this strand of beads, but it did make him feel lucky.

"Oh, Adrien..." Marinette whispered. Adrien gently took her gloves hand and put the charm in it.

"No, Marinette. You're literally the greatest person I've ever known. And until I'm worthy of your friendship, you should hold on to this. Hopefully, one day, I will earn it back." Adrien said and Marinette stared at the charm.

"Well, I'm glad you allowed me to say my peace. I really should get down to the runway before Sabrina has a fit." Adrien said. He stood up and he sadly walked out the door.

"I think that was a good apology." Plagg said and Adrien looked down at the Kwami in his jacket.

"Then why do I still feel like a jerk?" Adrien asked and Plagg sighed.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 12,

It was a chilly night, so after the fashion show, Marinette thought it would be best if she brought up a mug of hot chocolate to her balcony. Well, to be honest, she brought up two mugs of hot chocolate. One for her, and one for Cat Noir. It was a little unusual for them to check up on victims, after the fact. But he did want to see her, he said so. Though it wasunusual, Cat Noir was still her friend. Granted Cat Noir did spend more time with Ladybug then he did with Marinette; but Marinette was more then happy to hang out with Cat Noir.

She wasn't sure what she should expect. Would Cat Noir make so many bad puns that she can't help but smile at his stupidity? Or would he attempt to be serious a moment and do everything in his power to avoid making jokes of any kind?

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, poking her head out of Marinette's purse.

"Tikki, stay hidden. Cat Noir could show up any second." Marinette said. Personally she wasn't that worried about Cat Noir seeing her, because Tikki was aware that he knew Marinette's truth. But she didn't say anything about this. Marinette wanted her secret identity to be just that- a secret. And even though Cat Noir knows that she is Ladybug, it was still Ladybug's choice to reveal that knowledge.

"I know, so I'll be brief." Tikki said and Marinette sighed.

"Alright, go ahead Tikki." Marinette said with a smile.

"Are you going to talk toCat Noir about Adrien?" Tikki asked and Marinette sighed.

"I'm not sure Tikki. Probably a little Cat Noir will probably ask me why I got so upset. You know, the reason I got akumatized. How can I tell him what happened without talking about Adrien?" Marinette said and Tikki nodded.

"That is true." Tikki commented.

"Was that it?" Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Well, Ladybug doesn't share a lot of personal information with Cat Noir. But if Marinette really is Cat Noir's friend, then maybe this is your opportunity to strengthen your bond with Cat Noir." Tikki said and Marinette blinked.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"I mean, Ladybug trusts Cat Noir more than any other person. Isn't it about time that Marinette trusted Cat Noir more than anyone else?" Tikki asked and Marinette thought for a moment.

"I guess I never thought about it like that before, Tikki. It would be nice to talk to Cat Noir, like a real person. Instead of the high pressure situations we normally find ourselves in." Marinette said and Tikki chuckled.

"Exactly, Marinette. Have fun and let your hair down." Tikki said.

"My hair is already down." Marinette said and they both laughed.

"You know what I mean, Marinette." Tikki said and Marinette kissed the top of Tikki's head.

"Thank you, Tikki. I'll keep that in mind." Marinette said. Tikki went back into Marinette's purse.

Marinette sat and waited for Cat Noir to appear. She gently dipped her hot chocolate, which she enjoyed. She took out a notebook and watched people down on the street. She put on some instrumental music, and looked out at the setting sun. She didn't do it often, since she loved fashion so much, but on occasion she did write poetry. At least that's what she called it since they were short sentences/paragraphs with no other rhyme or reason to be together.

Marinette write quietly as she listened to the hypnotic melodies of Tchaikovsky. She saw a man standing in front of his window, and wrote about a lost opportunity. She saw two children playing tag and wrote about the nostalgia of youth. She saw a mother walking with her son and wrote about a longing to understand a person we love so much. It was only then, that Marinette noticed that she was halfway done with her cocoa and started to think that Cat Noir wasn't gonna show up after all. Part of her was really looking forward to seeing Cat Noir. Sadly Marinette turned the page.

_Cat in the shadows,_

_Where do you hide?_

_Are you just beyond my line of sight?_

_Oh, come into the light,_

_My cat of the night._

_Am I scary in your eyes?_

_And that's why you hide tonight?_

_I'm a friend, dear kitty._

_Come out of the city,_

_And come back to me._

Marinette wrote. She reread it and blushed. This little poem made it seem like she had a crush on Cat Noir. Which was ridiculous, because she had a crush on Adrien.

"Or... do I still like him?" Marinette asked herself. After everything that went down, Marinette wasn't at all sure how she felt about Adrien. His apology was so... sincere. It made her heart melt. But did she still love him after he made her feel so terrible?

She looked down at her hands. She was actually wearing a pair of dark gray gloves that matched her jacket. She thought gloves were the best thing to hide what Adrien did to her hand. Marinette hesitated, took a deep breath and removed one of her gloves. Her hand had purple-green splotches all over and it was still incredibly sensitive to the tough. Part of her expected to feel the same overwhelming sadness as before, but instead she felt angry. Angry that he hurt her; angry at the tears she cried; and angry at how incredibly fragile she was. She ripped out a paper from her notebook, crushed it into a ball and threw it with all her might.

But after she did, she realized that she just threw out the poem she just wrote about missing Cat Noir. She groaned a little at this, but she wasn't too worried about someone finding it. She never actually wrote the word 'Noir' or 'superhero' so no one would ever know that it's about Cat Noir. She couldn't explain why she wanted it back, she just did. She put her glove back on and laid back to look up at the stars and the sun, which slowly disappeared.

Marinette was completely unaware that the cat she was thinking about, had just been hit in the head with a paper ball.

"Looks like that came from Marinette's house." Cat Noir said. He knew Marinette was smart, and Ladybug would occasionally tease him, so he thought maybe she hit him on purpose. Just as a fun way to tell him that she was up there. Cat Noir picked up the paper ball and unraveled it, to read the note.

"Cat in the shadows, where do you hide? Are you just beyond my line of sight? Oh, come into the light my cat of the night. Huh? My... cat?" Cat Noir realized this wasn't a note meant for him. It was a poem about him. Which kinda makes sense, when he thought about it. Marinette's father got akumatized because he didn't return Marinette's love. Maybe those feelings never went away? Was asking Marinette if he could check up on her a mistake? He didn't want to hurt Marinette again, by misleading her. Cat Noir was in love with Ladybug. But Marinette was Ladybug. So would it be misleading when they were the same person.

"This is all too complicated. Maybe I shouldn't see her after all." Cat Noir said, and he started to walk away. But he stopped when he noticed that he was still holding Marinette's poem. He decided to read the rest of it.

"Am I scary in your eyes? And that's why you hide tonight?" Cat Noir blushed. Hiding and running away were basically the same thing, and he was embarrassed by it.

"I'm a friend, dear kitty. Come out of the city, and come back to me." Cat Noir finished and he couldn't help but smile. He folded the poem up and put it in his pocket for safe keeping; he even zipped it shut. Marinette heard a _woosh_ sound, and looked beside her to see Cat Noir sitting on the ground.

"Cat Noir." Marinette said with a smile on her face, and Cat Noir smiled back.

"Hi, Marinette. I came as fast as I could have you been waiting long?" Cat Noir said and Marinette giggled.

"Not sure, I've been distracting myself. But you could ask the hot chocolate in front of you." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked.

"Thanks." Cat Noir said, he took a sip. The drink was lukewarm.

"So you wanted to check up on me?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir nodded.

"I think you're a cool person Marinette. And I know the two of us don't hang out very often, but I like to think of you as a friend." Cat Noir said, then instantly wondered if 'friend' was the right word now.

"That's sweet of you Cat Noir." Marinette said, with a slight blush on her face.

"So how does this work?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir blinked.

"What?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette bit her lip gently.

"This check up thing. As far as I know, Ladybug and Cat Noir don't really check up on the de-akumatized people. So how does it work? Do you ask me a survey of questions and report back to each other." Marinette asked and Cat Noir smiled. He was impressed at Marinette talking about Ladybug so casually. Then again, she probably gets lots of practice considering that Alya is so proud of her Ladyblog.

"Well, it really isn't a common thing, I'll admit. But like I said earlier, I think of you as a friend. And I would really enjoy getting to know you more so that we can be even better friends." Cat Noir said. Marinette smiled and then she was full of doubt.

"I appreciate it, but do you think that's wise? If we become better friends, then there is a chance that Hawk Moth would use me to get to you." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked.

"Anything is a chance nowadays. If kindhearted people like you and Ms. Bustier can fall victim to Akuma's then anyone can. Even miraculous holders are not immune to those things." Cat Noir said and Marinette knew this was true.

"Not to mention Alya. She's been kidnapped multiple times, yet she still runs after villians in order to get to know Ladybug." Cat Noir said and Marinette giggled.

"Yep, that's Alya alright. But what's your point?" Marinette asked.

"I was just thinking that, as a superhero, we need to protect people and make sure that they feel safe." Cat Noir said.

"I completely agree with that." Marinette said, and Cat Noir recognized the 'matter-of-fact' time of Ladybug.

"Well, how can we make the Parisians trust us enough to feel safe, when we never feel safe to be around Parisians when we aren't fighting crime." Cat Noir said.

"I'm not sure that's how other's see it." Marinette said gently.

"Well, think about this. Let's say Hawk Moth takes some time off to prepare for something big. So no one gets akumatized for a month. People would know that Hawk Moth was still out there. But would they still feel safe when they hadn't seen Ladybug or myself in that same month?" Cat Noir said, and Marinette understood what he was talking about.

"In that situation you do have a point." Marinette admitted and Cat Noir smiled.

"I'm just saying let's go hang out tonight. I'm not saying that we should hang out every day, but..." Cat Noir blushed and Marinette sat up.

"What did you want to go do?" Marinette asked.

"I passed André when I came over here. It could be fun to buy some ice cream and then take a walk through the park. The fireflies there can be a beautiful sight, if you've never seen it." Cat Noir suggested.

"That sounds really fun, Cat Noir. I didn't expect something quiet and private out of you, kitty." Marinette said.

"Cats are solitary creatures by nature. Besides, I thought you'd like some quiet." Cat Noir said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't worry, it's perfect Cat Noir... hm, heh." Marinette let out a small chuckle and Cat Noir smiled.

"What's so funny?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette shrugged.

"Oh, I just remembered the last time we talked about André. You know, when he got Akumatized and turned into Glaciator." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"Man that was like a lifetime ago." Cat Noir said and Marinette nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But I remember it like it was yesterday." Marinette said.

"Really?" Cat Noir asked.

"Yeah. It was a memorable day. I mean, a boy broke my heart, you show up and tell me you were in love with Ladybug, and you showed me that beautiful rooftop to cheer me up, and... yeah." Marinette has more to say, but couldn't. It didn't really matter though, because Cat Noir was fixated on one detail, that almost caused a spit take. He did tell Marinette that he was in love with Ladybug. And that means that he unknowingly told Ladybug that he loved her. Even though Cat Noir wasn't very subtle about it, he was still working up the courage to actually say, 'I love you' to her. Cat Noir drank the remaining cocoa in one large gulp and cleared his throat.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you about that. Who was this jerk that broke your heart to begin with. I could teach them a serious lesson." Cat Noir asked and Marinette giggled and stood up.

"Ice cream first m. Then I might tell you what happened that day." Marinette offered, holding her hand out to him. Cat Noir smiled and took her hand to help himself up.

"Fair counter-offer." Cat Noir said, he wrapped an arm around Marinette and she held onto him in response, making Cat Noir blush. But the hero took a deep breath and they were off in pursuit of ice cream.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters

Chapter 13,

At the beautiful Pont des Arts, Andre was singing out for all of Paris to hear.

"My name is Andre, Andre Glacier. The sweetheart matchmaker. With one scoop or two, I'll find love for you, with magical ice cream flavors. My name is Andre, Andre Glacier. The sweetheart matchmaker. With one scoop or two, I'll find love for you, with magical ice scream flavors." Andre sang. If he said it once, he just had to say it a second time. It was one of the things that people loved about Andre. Cat Noir landed on the ground, before they hit the bridge and he gently put Marinette down.

"Thanks for the lift, kitty." Marinette said. she gently scratched Cat Noir's chin, the way she occasionally did when she was Ladybug. She didn't even realize what she did.

"U-uh, it's the least I can do." Cat Noir said with a blush. They smiled at each other and started walking towards Mr. Sweetheart's Ice Cream.

"I don't think I mentioned it earlier, but I really do appreciate you checking up on me." Marinette said.

"Of course, dear. You mean a lot to me." Cat Noir said and Marinette froze.

"What did you call me?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir hesitated when he realized what he said.

"Oh, oops. It slipped out. If you don't like it, I'm sorry." Cat Noir said, just hoping that he didn't offend Marinette again.

"It surprised me, but I guess I don't mind." Marinette said. To be perfectly honest, she liked 'milady' more, but she was just Marinette.

"So, 'dear' is alright?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette kind of shrugged.

"It is. I think I'm just more surprised that you didn't do something more... you." Marinette said, and Cat Noir blinked.

"Oh, then I must be off my game. I'm sure that I'll find something that works." Cat Noir said and they both laughed. They walked over to Andre, but there was some people in front of them, so they had to wait.

"How about something along the lines of 'honey' or 'sugar', since your parents own a bakery?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette shook her head.

"I don't think so." Marinette said.

"Then a dessert maybe? Like 'cupcake' or 'macaroon' or 'cannoli'." Cat Noir suggested and Marinette giggled.

"Cute, Cat Noir. If you do a dessert, then I might get hungry every time I talk to you." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"Oh! Cat Noir and Marinette! Are you two sharing an ice cream together today?" Andre asked and the two blushed.

"Thank you Andre, but we aren't dating." Marinette said.

"Ah, well, are you ready for my magical ice cream?" Andre asked. Cat Noir gestured for Marinette to go first, but she hesitated.

"Actually, do you mind going first, Cat Noir. I'm, uh... not ready." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked. Marinette was aware that Andre had a gift of seeing love in your heart and showing you who you loved in ice cream form. so this ice cream really would tell Marinette if she still loved Adrien or not. She was really worried because she didn't know if she wanted to see Adrien in her ice cream, or if she wanted to see someone else. Cat Noir didn't know what was holding Marinette back, but he decided not to push her to answer.

"Ok." Cat Noir said simply and he walked up to Andre.

"Ah, how interesting. I know just what to make you." Andre said and he turned to his cart.

"Strawberry with black chocolate chips, blackberries for her hair, blueberry ice cream- just like her sky-blue stare." Andre said, and he handed this to the hero, but Andre leaned in before he let go.

"I rarely get two customers get the same flavor of ice cream, Cat Noir." Andre said with a wink that made Cat Noir nervous.

"Um, thank you for the ice cream." Cat Noir said and he walked over to Marinette.

"Wow, kitty. That really does represent Ladybug. It's really cool." Marinette said and Cat Noir blushed.

"Are you ready for your ice cream now?" Cat Noir asked, and Marinette took a deep breath.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Marinette said and she went to Andre.

"Pretty Marinette, you look nervous. No matter, I have just the thing for you." Andre said, and Cat Noir stood beside them to hear what ice cream she got.

"Peach pink like his lips, and mint like his eyes." Andre said and he gave the cone to Marinette.

"Are you ok, Marinette?" Cat Noir asked, when he saw that she was staring at her ice cream, in shock.

"Uh, thank you, Andre." Marinette said with a smile.

"You're welcome, dear." Andre said and Cat Noir handed the man some cash before he gently guided Marinette towards the park.

Is there something wrong with your ice cream?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette looked at him.

"No, the ice cream is fine." Marinette said.

"Then what was all that about?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette sighed.

"There's this boy, and..." Marinette bit her lip. And as nervous as Cat Noir was, he wanted to be there for Marinette, even if she didn't love him.

"If it helps, I'm very good at keeping secrets." Cat Noir said as they walked into the park, and Marinette gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you, Cat Noir. It's just, I guess I feel a little weird talking to you about love, after... well... after I told you that I loved you, and my dad got akumatized and all." Marinette said. Cat Noir was silent for a moment. He knew that Ladybug had turned him down plenty of times because she was in love with someone else. So... that whole experience was just an act? But why would she do that to him? He decided to think about his later and focus on what was happening now.

"You did say something about us not being in love with each other. Besides, you have every right to fall in love with whoever you want." Cat Noir said and Marinette smiled.

"To be honest, I probably overreacted then. I've actually been in love with the same boy since the beginning of the school year." Marinette said, and the two found a bench and sat down.

"That long? Does the lucky boy know?" Cat Noir asked.

"HA! Are you kidding me? I can barely speak properly around him. I always stutter or jumble my words or say the wrong thing because he makes me so nervous." Marinette said bashfully as she ate her ice cream.

"You never know, Marinette. He might find it adorable. Have you ever tried telling...? Am I allowed to know his name?" Cat Noir asked. He knew it was kind of a cheap shot, tricking Ladybug to finally tell him who she loved; but after today, nothing will be the same, so he might as well know who she loved. At least then, maybe this boy could stop breaking her heart.

"You mean, Mr. 'peach lips and mint eyes'?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Well, there are several people in Paris with pink lips and green eyes. I mean, even I have pink lips and green eyes." Cat Noir said and Marinette giggled.

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you who I'm in love with. But only because I know that I can trust you with my life. You'd never do anything to hurt me." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"I'm grateful for your trust, Marinette." Cat Noir said, and Marinette took a deep breath.

"Ok, ok... my ice cream represents this boy in my class... it represents... Adrien." Marinette shyly said, and Cat Noir practically crushed his ice cream to death.

"Adrien? Adrien Agreste?" Cat Noir asked. Did he hear her correctly?

"I know it's silly, since so many other girls are in love with him. But once you get to know him, you learn that he has a passionate heart and he truly cares about his friends." Marinette said, and Cat Noir blushed a little.

"At least... I thought he did." Marinette said and Cat Noir stared at her.

"I... um..." Cat Noir hesitated. Not knowing what to say, he reached over and put his hand on Marinette's shoulder. Marinette smiled and put her hand on Cat Noir's hand.

"Thanks." Marinette whispered.

"You must like him a lot." Cat Noir said.

"You know, the craziest thing is that, when I first met him, I thought he was a big jerk." Marinette said. Cat Noir remembered that. Chloe put gum on Marinette's seat and Marinette caught him when he tried to remove the gum.

"What changed?" Cat Noir asked, though he already knew the answer. She spent a few days getting to know him, and learned that he was a nice guy.

"Heh, it rained." Marinette said.

"That's all?" Cat Noir obviously wasn't expecting to hear that.

"The school day ended, and it was raining outside. I didn't have an umbrella, and I didn't want to walk in the rain, so I was stuck. Adrien walked up, said 'hey', but I was still upset about the gum. I didn't want to talk to him at all. I know how that wasn't fair. I knew he was the son of my favorite fashion designer, and a model, and he was friends with Chloe. She's been mean to me for years, and I thought he would be the same. You must think I'm ridiculous for judging Adrien because he's rich, famous, and Chloe's friend." Marinette ate her ice cream slowly.

"Well, I guess when you say it like that, it wouldn't be ridiculous to think he put the gum on your seat." Cat Noir said, and Marinette smiled.

"Anyways, it's raining and Adrien opens up his umbrella and he talks to me. First he explained that he was taking the gum off of my seat, then he went on to say that he's never been to school, and how he didn't have many friends. It was very honest, and it got my attention. And then he..." Marinette trailed off and Cat Noir was surprised to see a fond smile on Marinette's face.

"And then what?" Cat Noir asked, on the edge of his seat.

"He smiled. And for the first time I looked into his eyes. They took my breath away. And if that wasn't enough, he stood in the rain and gave me his umbrella. I also made him laugh by accident, but it was such an adorable laugh. I've been in love with him ever since." Marinette said and Cat Noir stared at him. She loved him for THAT long?

"His smile and his eyes? Maybe that's why your ice cream is 'peach pink like his lips and mint like his eyes'." Cat Noir thought out loud and Marinette blinked at the dessert.

"Maybe you're right. Andre is really good at his art. I mean peach and mint? Wow." Marinette said and Cat Noir chuckled.

"You know, I don't think I've ever had peach ice cream. Is it good?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette smiled.

"Wanna try it?" Marinette asked, holding her ice cream out to Cat Noir.

"Oh? Well, only if you try mine." Cat Noir said, and they traded cones.

"The dark chocolate chips really work with this strawberry ice cream." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"And the peach is nice. Fruity but not overpowering." Cat Noir said and they both chuckled and handed the cones back to each other.

"So, now you know who I'm in love with. So now we're, what, even for that day Andre got akumatized." Marinette said, though it was more of a half-joke.

"Well, yeah, sorta. you said someone broke your heart that day. Was that caused by Adrien too?" Cat Noir was almost afraid to ask.

"Yes, and no. See a group of us decided to go to Andre's together. I really wanted to get an ice cream with him. People say couples who eat at Andre's are together forever. But Adrien wasn't allowed to go out for ice cream with us. I guess I was really hurt since he cancels so frequently. So I didn't want to eat Andre's ice cream anymore. And I told him that I didn't think his ice cream was magical. That's why Andre got akumatized." Marinette said and Cat Noir bit his lip. He wanted to say that he was sorry for not showing up, but he couldn't.

"And today?" Cat Noir asked.

"Adrien was weird. He was late to fencing class, and I think he got in some sort of fight with Chloe. He looked upset, and knocked me down. He... said harsh things and squeezed, my hand. It really hurt. I went home and cried my eyes out, leaving me too weak to fight the akuma." Marinette said and Cat Noir reached over and touched her hand.

"Listen, I-"

"Ow." Marinette pulled her hand away from Cat Noir who held his hands up to keep it away from her.

"What happened?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette sighed.

"Hold my cone for a moment." Marinette said, and Cat Noir did. Then Marinette removed her glove and revealed all of her bruises. Cat Noir stared at her hand in shock, he just couldn't believe it.

"D... Did Adrien do that?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded.

"He did, but I doubt he know that." Marinette said.

_He does now_

Cat Noir thought.

"You didn't deserve that." Cat Noir said, feeling more guilty then ever.

"Thank you." Marinette said. putting her glove back on her hand.

"Is that why you were surprised at getting this ice cream cone from Andre?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded.

"Yes. I wasn't sure if I still loved him. I know that he apologized, but... I wasn't sure how my heart felt." Marinette said and Cat Noir nodded.

"Yeah." Cat Noir said softly.

"I mean, I always get so flustered around him; and I've tried to tell him how I felt a few times, and they all failed; and he told me that he was in love with someone else." Marinette said and Cat NOir was starting to understand this never ending circle of romance that they had. Somehow they managed to love each other AND only think of each other as friends. How frustrating.

"You never seem to get flustered around Ladybug. I guess I'm a little jealous in that regard." Marinette said, taking her cone back from him.

"Don't be. I still have my nervous ticks, just like everyone else." Cat Noir said.

"You know... speaking of Ladybug... can you tell me why she didn't fight today?" Marinette asked. She shouldn't be asking this. When Tikki returned to her with the Ladybug earrings, she was informed that they lied to Cat Noir. Apparently they told him that Ladybug was too ill to fight.

"Uh... s-sick. I was told that she was sick." Cat Noir said and Marinette relaxed.

"It happens to the best of us." Marinette said.

"It does..." Cat Noir said, and Marinette remembered something, and looked down at her ice cream.

"Is something wrong?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette shrugged.

"Just... thinking about Adrien some more. You must be tired of hearing about him, though." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"I enjoy talking to you. About anything. So, please continue." Cat Noir said.

"One of the things I love about Adrien is his ability to see the good in anyone. I told you that Chloe's been mean to me for years, but with his help, I actually started to see a sensitive side of Chloe I never saw before. Even though she still drives me crazy, it's nice to know that she can be a good person at times." Marinette said with a smile.

"I hope that helps." Cat Noir said.

"I think it does. I think that's the only reason why Chloe didn't expose me when she found out that I liked Adrien." Marinette said, and Cat Noir blinked.

"Chloe knows?" Cat Noir asked.

"Yeah. I tried to give him this passion fruit flavored macaroon I made for him, at the premiere of the animated Ladybug and Cat Noir movie. But she knows he loves passion fruit and figured out that I had a major crush on him." Marinette said.

"Oh." Cat Noir said.

"Yeah, but then I started thinking about it. Chloe is mean, but she can be nice. So I guess..." Her voice trailed off a bit.

"Yeah?" Cat Noir asked.

"So, I guess it's only natural that Adrien can be mean every once in a while and still be nice." Marinette said and she finished her ice cream.

"That's a logical way of thinking about it." Cat Noir said, and he finished his ice cream.

"You know, a while back I gave him this little charm." Marinette reached into her purse and retrieved the familiar thing. Cat Noir froze a moment when she saw it. He wondered if there was a chance that Marinette will give the charm to Cat Noir instead of Adrien.

"So when he apologized, he returned it back to me. Claiming that I should keep it until he's properly earned it back?" Cat Noir asked.

"And... how will he earn it back?" Cat Noir asked.

"I have no idea. On one hand, Adrien is human, and there will be times where he gets angry; but he hurt me physically, which I never thought he would do. Although I'm hardly perfect so I shouldn't be so harsh on him just because I haven't really seen him mad before. And to top it all off, I have no idea why he was so worked up. He said that he was sick of being a pawn in everyone's games. I wonder what that means." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked.

"Does it really matter why he was mad?" Cat Noir asked, putting the charm back in her purse.

"I think it does. At least a little. I mean, he called himself a pawn, so that means he feels used. It might have something to do with his dad ordering him around. I mean it's clear that he keeps Adrien locked up in his house, because he's afraid, but Adrien may not see it that way." Marinette said.

"I... suppose you're right." Cat Noir said.

"And Adrien's a model. So he is automatically told what to wear and how to behave. It's sad since fashion is about expression, yet they just want him because he's an attractive guy with a famous dad." Marinette said.

"Yeah." Cat Noir muttered sadly.

"But those pictures don't show how kind he is, or how sweet he is, or how smart he is, There is so much to Adrien, and people don't get to see that." Marinette said.

"True. But he still gets chased by crazed fans. I'm not sure that they care about who he really is." Cat Noir said.

"Well, that's a shame, because Adrien has the biggest heart in the whole school. I mean he would have done this fashion show that Chloe organized with just him and- Wow, people do take him for granted... poor Adrien." Marinette said and Cat Noir stared at her. He wasn't expecting Marinette to feel sorry for him, not after what he did.

"Now I think you have the biggest heart in your school." Cat Noir said and Marinette blushed and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome, um... bluebell?" Cat Noir said.

"Bluebell?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir rubbed the back of his neck.

"After your eyes. They are as blue as bluebell flower. It might be a good nickname." Cat Noir said and Marinette blushed.

"That's sweet. I think bluebell could work." Marinette said slowly.

"Is it purrfect?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette rolled her eyes, but still laughed a little.

"You are such a dork." Marinette said and they laughed together.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 14,

Cat Noir was right. The fireflies were beautiful tonight. He had produced a blanket, from what seemed like nowhere, and laid it on the ground. She sat on the soft fabric and giggled at Cat Noir who jumped around, chasing the glowing creatures.

"Are you always so catty when you're not Cat Noir?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir turned to her.

"Are you interested?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette blushed.

"In all honesty, I'm incredibly interested." Marinette admitted and Cat Noir walked over to her and sat down.

"You are?" He asked, a little surprised. Ladybug was always so firm on them not knowing anything about each other.

"Extremely. I'm just not sure if it's smart." Marinette said.

"To trust you?" Cat Noir asked.

"To trust anyone. Your secret identity is the most valuable thing, Cat Noir. And if you start telling me personal things about you, then what if... I figure out your identity." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked.

"Well... If that were to happen... I think I could trust you." Cat Noir said and Marinette blushed.

"I wouldn't." Marinette said.

"Why not?" Cat Noir asked.

"Because I'm a total screwup. I could accidentally blurt it out, and once it's out, I can't change it." Marinette said.

"I'm sure you're not that bad." Cat Noir said.

"Are you kidding? Even times when I try to be helpful, I just ruin everything." Marinette said sadly. She pulled up her legs and wrapped her arms around them.

"Maybe that's why I got so persuaded when Hawk Moth started talking about how much I could help people." Marinette said softly.

"Hang on. Do you actually remember your time as Masquerade?" Cat Noir asked, and Marinette bit her lip.

"It's as if I were in a dream. Some parts I barely remember, but others are as clear as a bell." Marinette said.

"Well, what do you remember?" Cat Noir asked.

"I remember hearing Hawk Moth's voice, and though I couldn't see him, I knew when he nodded or gestured or pointed. I also felt as if he actually understood the pain I was going through." Marinette said.

"Understood?" Cat Noir asked.

"Actually it was more then that... he more than understood. It was as if we both went through the same ordeal, and he knew exactly how to make me feel better, even when I didn't." Marinette said. She looked down at her hand, then back at Cat Noir.

"That may not make sense, but that's how I remember it feeling." Marinette said.

"It's alright. Go on." Cat Noir encouraged and Marinette sighed.

"I remember not wanting to fight you... and then... something happened and we did." Marinette said.

"We did, but everything is fine now." Cat Noir said.

"There was something strange I do remember." Marinette said.

"What's that?" Cat Noir asked.

"Hawk Moth said that I reminded him of someone, and these images popped into my head. Images of this really beautiful blonde woman. And I felt... Hawk Moth's emotions ." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked.

"You felt his emotions? Are you positive?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded.

"I'm telling you there is some kind of bond that links one to Hawk Moth, when they're akumatized. He knows how I felt, and I knew how he felt. At least I did when he remembered that woman." Marinette said and Cat Noir hesitated.

"And what did he feel?" Cat Noir asked, and Marinette closed her eyes to help recall the emotions.

"He was sad. He desperately misses her. But... there's also... love." Marinette said.

"Love?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded a little.

"Love. Definitely love. He misses her because he loves her, and he longs to have her back." Marinette said and she opened her eyes and looked at Cat Noir.

"So...? Do you think this is an ex-girlfriend? An old flame that you were similar to?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette shrugged.

"Personally, I think it's stronger then that?" Marinette said.

"Stronger in what way?" Cat Noir asked.

"Like... his wife maybe?" Marinette suggested.

"Wife? It's hard to imagine Hawk Moth being married." Cat Noir said and Marinette looked at him.

"Maybe she died." Marinette whispered sadly, and Cat Noir leaned back on to the blanket and stared up into the stars. She laid down next to him and they stared together. They were silent for several minutes, listening to the sounds of Paris. Crickets, water from the fountain, the faint sounds of Andre singing, and the gentle wind running past each tree, flower, and blade of grass. The wind felt nice, but it was a little chilly, so Marinette shivered a little, which Cat Noir noticed.

"Cold?" Cat Noir asked, turning his head.

"Oh, uh, just a little. I'll be fine." Marinette said, looking at him with a smile before looking at the stars again.

"I wish I could offer you a jacket, but I don't have one." Cat Noir said bashfully.

"I told you, I'll be fine." Marinette said with a giggle. Cat Noir was gonna drop this. After all, he knew how stubborn Ladybug could be. However, after a moment, he saw Marinette shiver again, and he wanted to help. He held out a hand to Marinette.

"I-I'm warm. I-I don't mind, uh... sharing." Cat Noir did his best to avoid stuttering, but failed miserably. Marinette blushed. She knew that Cat Noir was in love with Ladybug, and that Cat knew she loved Adrien. Therefore this wasn't a ploy because he liked her. He just didn't want her to be cold.

"Sharing is caring?" Marinette said half-joking and Cat Noir smiled at her. Marinette sighed a little.

"Ok." She simply said and she moved closer to Cat Noir. Cat Noir wrapped an arm around Marinette and Marinette laid her head and hand gently on Cat Noir's chest.

"The stars are exceptionally pretty tonight." Cat Noir said, glad that Marinette couldn't see the blush on his face.

"They really are." Marinette whispered. She smiled when she noticed the sound of Cat Noir's heart beat. It calmed her in a way she's never known.

"Do you ever look at the constellations and think about the stories behind them?" Cat Noir asked.

"Sometimes. I know a few stories, but they tend to be bittersweet." Marinette said.

"Like what?" Cat Noir asked.

"Um... like Perseus and his wife. He sees that she is tied up to a rock as a sacrifice to this sea beast. He kills the creature, and saves her. But, uh... her parents are upset, she he kills them. Or maybe the gods kill her parents because their daughter wasn't sacrificed. So they die, but Perseus can't marry the girl because she's engaged to someone else, so he just kills the fiancé and marries his wife." Marinette said.

"Well, that's one story." Cat Noir said.

"And then there's the Leo story. The hero Hercules was told to do 12 impossible tasks. One of which was to kill a lion. It was impossible because no weapon could pierce it's skin. So Hercules has no choice but to chase the creature for 30 days until the poor thing dies from exhaustion. Hercules wears the lion like a coat, and it helps to protect him when he fights the Hydra. But when Hercules survives, Zeus decides to honor the lion's life by creating the Leo constellation." Marinette said.

"Running until you die?" Cat Noir said.

"Some people say Hercules used his brute strength and strangled it instead; but I heard chasing first, so..." Marinette said.

"Ok. I don't mind the story about the sculptor." Cat Noir said.

"Sculptor?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, wanna hear it?" Cat Noir asked.

"If you like it, then sure." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"There once was a sculptor named Pygmalion." Cat Noir started and Marinette giggled.

"Is it time for a bedtime story already?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir hushed her.

"You told your stories the way you wanted, I get to tell this story the way I want." Cat Noir said, and Marinette giggled again.

"Fair enough. Continue." Marinette said, nuzzling his chest a little as she got more comfortable. Cat Noir's whole face must have been red by now.

"Pygmalion was the most talented sculptor in all of Cyprus. His statues were the most beautiful and realistic in all of Greece. But Pygmalion grew distasteful of the outside world and wanted nothing to do with it. He just help up in his studio creating his statues. And one day, he is asked to create a statue of a beautiful woman. So he goes to work. And as he is sculpting, he tries to create a woman, who was unlike the women of his town. A woman of kindness and morals, and held a sweetness to others. The exact opposite of everyone he has ever known. When he was done, he stepped away from the greatest masterpiece in Greece's history." Cat Noir said, and he laid his free hand on his stomach.

"Isn't that a little prideful?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir shrugged.

"Maybe a bit. Anyways, the second he set eyes on his creation, he instantly fell in love with the statue." Cat Noir said, and Marinette bit her lip.

"Poor dude." Marinette commented.

"Yeah... well... He was so in love with the statue that he stopped sculpting and went out and bought her the fanciest chocolates, and dresses, and perfumes. He was trying so hard to find a gift that earned the statues love." Cat Noir said.

"That must have been hard. Trying so hard to... um... earn the statue's love." Marinette said, as she realized why Cat Noir likes the story so much. It was similar to his love for Ladybug.

"That's why Pygmalion would go to Aphrodite's temple every night and prayed to this Goddess of Love; asking her to make Galatea fall in love with him." Cat Noir said.

"Galatea? That's the name of the statue?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir blinked.

"Oh... did I forget to say her name earlier?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette giggled.

"Yes, silly. Just finish your story." Marinette said.

"Aphrodite took pity on Pygmalion, and when he got home, he discovers that Galatea has come to life. They get married, and have children, and for the rest of their lives they thank Aphrodite for allowing them to be together." Cat Noir said.

"Ok, that's not so bad." Marinette admitted and Cat Noir smiled.

"I'm glad you liked it." Cat Noir said. They laid like that for what seemed like an eternity. Enjoying the bliss of each other's presence and warmth. It would be a shame if it had to end. But Cat Noir knew this had to stop; because he was getting so comfortable that he nearly fell asleep twice.

"It's getting late, Bluebell." Cat Noir said, but Marinette didn't move.

"Marinette?" Cat Noir asked. The hand that rested on his stomach reached up and grabbed her hand.

"She's asleep, Cat Noir." Tikki said, poking her head out of Marinette's purse.

"So, that's where you hide." Cat Noir said with a smirk. He slowly pulled away from Marinette.

"Are you going to wake her up?" Tikki asked and Cat Noir rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't know. She's been through a lot. I think she needs her sleep." Cat Noir said, kneeling beside the sleeping girl. He put his hands under the blanket and scooped up it and Marinette.

"Careful." Tikki couldn't help but say.

"Always with... Milady." Cat Noir blushed. It was the first time he called Marinette that, and she'll never know. Cat Noir took Marinette home.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not have own Miraculous Ladybug or it’s characters.

Note: it has been a long time since I last worked on this story, and I think I owe you all a bit of an explanation. You see I try to make my stories as accurate as possible, which is why I tend to write for shows that are older, because they are finished. Twice since I started this story, Netflix has added more episodes to the Miraculous Ladybug show. I have been hesitant about working or updating this story because Season 3, part 2, has made my story inaccurate. I was embarrassed, even though I love my story. But I figured if there were people who were willing to read this far with me, and still want to continue the journey I have started; then you deserve the work I wanna put into this story. So let’s make a pact together. If you don’t complain about how my story is no longer canon, I will produce the best story I possibly can. Deal?

Chapter 15,

“Claws off.” The hero said when he finally got back to his room.

“Man, what a day?” Plagg said and he flew over to the cabinet he kept Camembert in. He popped open one and looked over at Adrien. The boy was sitting against the window, staring out at the street lights. He should be crawling into bed, getting a somewhat decent amount of sleep.

“Adrien?” Plagg asked and Adrien held his legs.

“All this time, Plagg. All this time?” Adrien asked.

“What?” Plagg asked.

“Marinette... my Ladybug. How could I not see it sooner?” Adrien asked.

“It’s like that day you fought Frighteningale. Remember, I told you that people only see what they want to see.” Plagg said and Adrien sighed.

“Oh man... After having such a great night, how on earth am I suppose to just...” Adrien’s voice trailed off.

“Go back to normal?” Plagg suggested and Adrien shrugged.

“I guess. Though can I really call it normal? I mean today was such a whirlwind of everything. I love her, but I hurt her; and she loves me, but she hates me; and I’m still her friend, but not really. I mean... after Cat Noir got to have such a great night with Marinette, yet tomorrow I’m gonna wake up swimming in my guilt every time I look her. What is with that anyways? Why am I so much stronger as Cat Noir then I am Adrien?” Adrien asked.

“Oh, that’s simple. It’s your Miraculous. When you activate it, you’re not just activating your power of destruction.” Plagg said.

“What? What else could I be activating?” Adrien asked.

“Me, silly.” Plagg said and Adrien rose his eyebrow at the Kwami.

“Listen, I’m being serious, kiddo. When you put on that ring, you’re putting on a lot. Your powers come from me, so your personality, ever so slightly, changes when your Miraculous is charged. Since I’m more carefree, then you are more carefree when you are Cat Noir.” Plagg said.

“I think that might be the mask Plagg. Knowing that no one sees this emotionless model. I have fun as Cat Noir because I can’t really have fun in my normal day-to-day.” Adrien said.

“Oh, very true. And one should never underestimate the power of a mask. But what about those kitty instincts, or actions you do. I don’t really see you squatting for a photo shoot or purring in class?” Plagg said and Adrien blinked.

“I...” he hesitated.

“You need to get some sleep, lover boy. Tomorrow you should just look up videos of Cat Noir on the Ladyblog. You’ll see what I mean.” Plagg said.

“So I really get instinct from you? It’s not just amplified?” Adrien said and Plagg sighed.

“Well, Master Fu said that each generation of the Cat Noir gets stronger because they have their powers and instincts amplified by every other Cat Noir before him.” Plagg said.

“Whoa.” Adrien said and Plagg nodded.

“Yeah. Now come on you need your sleep and I need some Camembert.” Plagg said and Adrien chuckled. He got ready for bed and climbed in. But as tired as he was, he couldn’t sleep.

“Do you think Tikki is right?” Adrien asked.

“Yes... but about what?” Plagg said.

“Earlier she said that if I showed up for Marinette and really showed her that I want to be her friend, then Marinette will forgive me.” Adrien said.

“Of course. You’re an unstoppable team.” Plagg said. Adrien heard this earlier, but it sounded differently coming from Plagg. From Master Fu, it sounded like such wisdom. But now that Plagg said this, it sounded like an undisputed truth that is obvious to everyone. A truth similar to ‘trees are made of wood’.

“I still can’t believe that she loves me.” Adrien said.

“Well, believe it, kid. I told you she was a sweetheart the day you gave her that umbrella.” Plagg said.

“You did, I know.” Adrien said, and he blushed.

“That act made Marinette fall in love with me. I just didn’t know it until now. Why didn’t I notice it back then?” Adrien asked.

“Well, other then the fact that your dad hid you from the world and you forgot how people behaved around others; you fell in love with Ladybug before that happened. Because of that, you weren’t looking at Marinette as if she were a romantic interest. You were just being nice to her.” Plagg said and Adrien thought about this.

“You know, you keep making sense. It’s kinda scary.” Adrien said and Plagg stuck out his smelly tongue.

“Then quit thinking and start sleeping, Romeo. We both could use a rest from your Ladybug obsession.” Plagg said and Adrien rolled his eyes.

“Good night, Plagg.” Adrien said.

Across town, up in her room, Marinette yawned and rubbed her eyes.

“Cat?” She called out.

“He went home, Marinette.” Tikki said, brushing some hair out of Marinette’s face.

“Home?” She asked. Marinette opened her eyes and she looked around.

“Aw, he put me in bed.” Marinette said as a gentle blush formed on her face.

“I can’t believe you fell asleep in Cat Noir’s arms.” Tikki said and Marinette giggled.

“And I can’t believe how good it felt to be in his arms.” Marinette practically whispered.

“Marinette, it’s starting to sound like you love Cat Noir.” Tikki said and Marinette blushed deeply.

“What? No way, Tikki. I mean Cat is... Cat’s...” Marinette bit her lip as she tried to find the right word.

“Cute? Kind? Wonderful?” Tikki suggested.

“Yeah...” Marinette swooned. Then she snapped back.

“I mean, he could be to a special girl. You know, if he ever got over Ladybug, that is.” Marinette said, climbing down to the floor and picked up her pj’s.

“Unless, of course, Ladybug changes her mind.” Tikki said. Marinette rolled her eyes and started digging through her pockets, and put stuff in her purse.

“Well, the odds of that happening are-oh...” Marinette’s whole mood changed when her eyes landed on Adrien’s charm. She gingerly touched the sentimental object and sighed heavily.

“Do you know what you’re gonna do with it?” Tikki asked and Marinette bit her lip.

“Adrien hurt me, I don’t want to lose his friendship, but I don’t know if I’m quite ready to forgive him yet.” Marinette said, turning and grabbing one of his pictures off of the wall.

“Perhaps I should go ahead and forgive him though. After all, Andre’s ice cream already proved that I’m still in love with Adrien.” Marinette said and Tikki rolled her eyes.

“Technically he only proved that you have a crush on a guy with green eyes and pink lips. Do you have any idea how many guys in Paris have green eyes and pink lips- heck Cat Noir has green eyes and pink lips.” Tikki said, annoyed. But then she covered her mouth, when she realized what she said. Marinette didn’t see her little Kwami doing this, because she was deep in thought. She grabbed her phone and pulled up a picture of Cat Noir.

Tikki was correct. Cat Noir did have green eyes and pink lips. As Marinette stared at those soft lips, she wondered if perhaps she misinterpreted her ice cream. Perhaps she WAS in love with Cat Noir instead of Adrien now. It was a scary concept since she’s rejected him so many times as Ladybug and pretended to love him as herself. And yet... they did have a good friendship, and he was often kind to her without asking anything of her. Could this night’s interactions caused her to fall for him? Just as the umbrella thing made her fall for Adrien?

“Do you think Cat Noir has green eyes, even when he isn’t Cat Noir?” Marinette asked Tikki, but then waved her off.

“On second thought, you shouldn’t answer that. You spent the day with him, so you know what he really looks like; and I don’t want to force you to lie.” Marinette said and Tikki sighed.

“Thank you.” Tikki said gratefully and Marinette pulled out a notebook, and a pen, then started writing.

“What are you doing now, Marinette?” Tikki asked and Marinette glanced at her.

“I have to lie to a lot of people about who I really am, and I don’t like it. I have a great group of friends and I don’t want to lose any of them. If I want to keep Adrien as a friend, then I want to be as honest as I can with him. So...” Marinette paused to grab an envelope.

“I’m gonna write him a letter and give it to him at the beginning of class tomorrow. I’m gonna be honest about how I feel and stay true to myself. And hopefully we can both make the effort to push past this.” Marinette said and Tikki marveled at her owner who wrote from the heart.

[Hey this is QueenAlicorn. If you would like to continue supporting this story, then just stick around. But for those of you who would like to do more, I do have a Tumblr account where I am trying to advertise stories. You can like and share your favorite stories, if you wanted.]


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 16,

The following morning, Adrien was jumpy. He couldn't help the nervous energy flowing in his veins. It was as if he had woke up with all of the tension he should have felt yesterday. He put on his jacket inside-out, he kept dropping his fork during breakfast, and on his way out the door, he spilt his books all over the grand entrance.

By the time the blond model got into his classroom seat, he didn't know what to make of himself. Adrien places his elbows on the table and placed his hands in front of his face. It almost appeared like the boy was praying, except for the fact that he was anxiously bouncing his knee.

"Adrien?" He flinched at the sound, but he relaxed when he saw Nino and Alya.

"Oh... hey guys." Adrien said. The couple glanced at each other before they took their seats.

"Adrien, dude, what is with you?" Nino asked and Adrien hesitated before pulling out his textbook.

"Uh, nothing really, Nino. I just should have went to bed earlier last night; that's all." Adrien said a little too quickly and Nino eyed him.

"O-K then? Let's talk about this later." Nino said. Adrien took a breath to try and calm himself, but that's when Marinette walked into the room. And for a brief moment, the two locked eyes and the whole world froze in place.

Adrien stared at Marinette, taking in every detail of her. Her bright blue eyes, her soft hair, her smooth skin, her- ... her gray gloves. An image of Marinette's damaged hand flashed in his mind and his heart twitched with guilt. Marinette bit her lip to suppress her sorrow and tightened her grip on her bag strap before looking away.

This act only pained Adrien more, and he slumped in his seat. The boy had his eyes fixed on his textbook, when a white envelope slid into view. He looked up once more at his beloved Marinette, who gave him a tiny nod and went up to her seat.

"What was that?" Nino whispered as Adrien gingerly picked up the envelope.

"We, um..." Adrien hesitated, and he slipped the envelope inside of his jacket pocket.

"We kind of had a fight and I kind of crossed a line." Adrien whispered and Nino glanced back At Marinette.

"Well, what did you do?" Nino asked and Adrien bit his lip.

"I-I think class is about to start." Adrien said, avoiding the question. Ms. Bustier walked into the class and looked around the room, with a smile.

"Good morning, class." Ms. Bustier said cheerfully. The class responded in kind and she took a quick glance at the door.

"Before we start off with our morning compliments, we have a rather unique treat in stored for today." Ms. Bustier said and several of the classmates perked with excitement. Some of them made a few guesses as to what this surprise was. Jagged Stone performing, just for their class; a new holiday was declared, so school was canceled; being able to paint the whole school pink.

"Settle down, settle down. Ms. Sancoeur, would you care to take over?" Ms. Bustier asked and Adrien was surprised to see Nathalie walking into the room. What was she doing here?

"Thank you Ms. Bustier." Nathalie said in her traditionally stiff way before turning towards the classroom.

"It is my job to inform each class of the new competition the Gabriel company is initiating. Since the school did so well on the bowler hat competition, the Gabriel company is restricting it's contest to you. You all will have 72 hours to come up with the best way to advertise our product to Americans. The winner will be working rather closely with Mr. Agreste to oversee the project during it's duration. I will return Monday morning to receive your answers." Nathalie said and Ms. Bustier gave a gentle clap.

"Well, that sounds wonderful. Class I know that each of you have the potential to win." Ms. Bustier said.

"Anyone who enters has a potential to win, but only one will actually win." Nathalie said and Ms. Bustier blinked at this response.

"Thank you, Ms. Sancoeur." Ms. Bustier said. Nathalie gave her a curt nod before exiting the room.

Adrien couldn't help but become a bit annoyed at this sudden announcement. Clearly he had no idea what goes on in his father's mind, or what motivates him. But it hurt Adrien to learn that his father was willing to spend more time with the contest winner then his own son.

Adrien looked down at his textbook. Did his father even consider asking for his opinion with the contest? Was there a single moment where he wondered if his son had an idea? And now, if he wants to spend extra time with his father, he will have to enter some stupid contest in order to do so?

Then Adrien looked down at Marinette's letter and it felt like his whole world was crumbling around him. His father doesn't care if he lives or dies, and he probably ruined his friendship with Marinette. He started to wonder if his life mattered to anyone... even if his life had any value. Adrien day there, ignoring the lesson, feeling more depressed then he's ever felt, and with a sigh he asked to go to the restroom. He figured nothing could make him feel worse, so he decided to go read Marinette's letter privately.

"Adrien?" He heard Plagg say once he was alone.

"Yeah, buddy?" Adrien asked, his voice devoid of all joy. It made Plagg sad just to hear it.

"Are you ok?" Plagg asked and Adrien shrugged.

"Plagg, you've been around for a long time.

"Actually, yes." Plagg admitted and Adrien blinked.

"Really?" Adrien asked and Plagg shrugged.

"My powers are too strong to use without an owner to use them for me. You're Cat Noir, and sure I give you powers, but at least you can use the power of destruction to help people. Even if I barely use my power, I'll destroy half of Paris and there is nothing so can do to fix it." Plagg said and Adrien stared at him.

"And what do you do, when you feel like that?" Adrien asked and Plagg looked away.

"I remind myself that my powers are important, even though I can't personally use them; and that I have friends who love and care about me; I'm kind and carefree; and lastly, I like myself." Plagg said and Adrien was impressed.

"How do you do that?" Adrien asked. Plagg didn't look at him, but it looked as if Plagg was actually blushing.

"I say 'I'm important, I'm loved, I'm kind, I like myself'." Plagg recited bashfully.

"That's cute." Adrien said, trying to be supportive, but Plagg got more embarrassed.

"Oh, will you just read Marinette's letter already?" Plagg said and Adrien offered him a little smile. Adrien opened the letter, and his eyes instantly fell on the colorful plastic beads in the bottom of the envelope. He reached in and pulled out Marinette's lucky charm and gasped at it.

"She's giving it back to you?" Plagg asked and Adrien found it difficult to speak.

"I... I-I... why? I... didn't earn it." Adrien said, and he turned to the letter and read it out loud for Plagg.

"Dear, Adrien, I don't know how to express the way I felt when we spoke at our fencing practice. I don't know what you were feeling when you said what you said, and did what you did. And I don't know what you could possibly do to earn my forgiveness. In truth, I feel like I don't know who you are anymore. I use to think that you were incredibly sweet and you were incapable of hurting others. So to see you like that shook my entire perspective of you." Adrien paused when Plagg whistled.

"She sure paints a picture, doesn't she?" Plagg said and Adrien's shoulders dropped.

"Let me tell you what I do know. I know that you have one of the biggest hearts in the entire school." Adrien bit his lip as he recalled her saying this yesterday to Cat Noir .

"You've shown me that anyone, even Chloe, can be a good person, you've supported me during the bowler hat contest, and later modeling it when I was discouraged and you helped me to speak to my uncle when I didn't know how. I know that you've shown me time and time again that you really do care about me, and all your friends for that matter." Adrien read and Plagg smiled at the blond boy.

"This seems positive." Plagg said and Adrien took a deep breath before continuing.

"My trust in you has shaken, but I know that you're a good friend; and I would like to continue being your friend. So as an act of good faith, I'm returning this lucky charm to you; you love it more then I ever could anyways. I know this may not be the answer you were looking for, but it's the best answer I have to give. I know that you'll do everything in your power to earn my trust back... and I want you to know that I want to trust you again... I just need some time before I can trust you the way I use to. But please remember, whenever you look at this lucky charm, that I still have faith in you, and we are still friends. Love, Marinette." Adrien's hands trembled as he read that last sentence.

His eyes started to water as a contradicting mixture of love and guilt flooded his system. He couldn't believe Marinette still considered them friends after what he did. Adrien didn't feel worthy enough for that alone, then to add her having faith in him AND returning the charm? It was overwhelming.

"Aw, come on Adrien, this is a good thing. Besides, you can't return to class with red puffy eyes. Then everyone will know that you were crying." Plagg said and Adrien nodded.

"You're right." Adrien whispered as he wiped his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Of course I'm right. And anyways, even if Marinette isn't ready to trust Adrien right now, Cat Noir could still sneak around and see her." Plagg said and Adrien's eyes widened. It's true that Cat Noir could leave notes, letters, and gifts for Marinette. He always wanted to show Ladybug how much he cared about her, and this can help keep Marinette happy. If she's allow it.

"It's not like Cat Noir could see Marinette every day. Ladybug tried to be strict about our superhero identities." Adrien said and Plagg winked.

"Adrien, you're such a romantic, but you're sometimes blind. I've been around long enough to see that most people just want to be loved. A lot of guys, sometimes women, but it's normally us guys, will try to woo and win the heart of someone we love. But then once they win that person, they forget to treasure that person to keep them happy." Plagg said and Adrien was surprised that he said this.

"Ok, and what's your point?" Adrien asked, and Plagg rolled his eyes.

"Since you got to head back to class, let me simply explain it like this. Adrien, you love Ladybug and you try to win her heart. But dude, you already treasure Marinette; you just don't stop to realize you do." Plagg said and Adrien was speechless.

He put the letter and the charm in his pocket and he walked back to class, replaying Plagg's words in his head. It's true that he often helped her when she needed it, worried for her when she was sad and calmed her down when she was upset. She was his friend, one of his firsts, and he cared about her very deeply.

When Adrien stepped back into the classroom, he gazed instantly up at Marinette and they locked eyes. And for one brief moment, she gave him a small, sad smile, which took his breath away. And seeing that smile made Adrien realize two things. One, that Plagg was right. And two, if he didn't notice it before, he certainly did now...

That he was head over heels in love with beautifully flawed, miraculous Marinette.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 17,

Adrien didn't avoid Marinette, but he didn't say much to her. He sat next to her during lunch, and study hall, and in the library. He knew that Marinette needed time to heal, but he still wanted to show her that he was there for her.

At the end of the day, the children gathered at their lockers and Adrien tried to hide the fact that he was staring at Marinette. She walked over to her locker and she was gonna open it, but stopped when Rose came over to talk to her.

"Dude what are you doing?" Nino asked and Adrien bit his lip. He had his locker cracked just a little. He noticed that when he punched his locker, he could stare at Marinette with relative ease.

"Just noticing the damage I did to my locker." Adrien said, and Nino's eyes widened.

"Wait, are you telling me that you're the one who did that?" Nino asked and Adrien rose an eyebrow at him.

"How did you think it got busted?" Adrien asked and Nino shrugged.

"I just thought someone tried to break into your locker and got annoyed." Nino said.

"What? Why?" Adrien asked.

"Well, if someone was desperate, maybe they thought you had money in your locker. Everyone knows you're not a poor boy." Nino said, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. Adrien paused as he considered that possibility.

"And there is also the chance a crazed fan tried to get some sort of memento. After all, you are a famous model. Heck, after that commercial came out, people were more obsessed with you, then Ladybug and Cat Noir." Nino said.

"I better stop you there, before you come up with another example." Adrien said. He looked over at Marinette, through his locker. Alya walked over to Marinette, so Rose walked away. Adrien took a breath of annoyance, but he couldn't really get mad at two best friends talking to each other.

"Sorry dude. My point was that I didn't think you dented your own locker." Nino said and Adrien shrugged.

"I should probably talk to someone about fixing it. I wonder how much it will cost me." Adrien said, turning back to Nino with a small smile.

"Good thing I already brought your gift, birthday boy." Adrien said and Nino rolled his eyes.

"Dude, you know my birthday is tomorrow." Nino said and Adrien shrugged.

"I know, I know. I'm just a little worried that, when father hears about the locker, I won't be allowed to go to your party." Adrien said and Nino looked at he damaged metal.

"You know, I bet you could fix that yourself. Then no one has to pay for it, you take responsibility for your mistake, and no one has to tell your dad." Nino said and Adrien bit his lip.

"I don't know, do you really think that could work?" Adrien said.

"Well, you might need to carry the door to the arts classroom, or to the workshop classroom, so you might want to have to have someone help you to carry the door or something." Nino said. And then Nino saw something, and he looked over Adrien's shoulder.

"What's that, Marinette?" Nino said. A black envelope fell out of her locker and Nino scooped it up before Marinette could.

"Nino, that's Marinette's. It's probably from a secret admirer; how cute." Alya said as Nino held it up to the light.

"Ah, man, I can't see what it says. The envelope is too dark." Nino complained and Alya looked over his shoulder, at the letter.

"Is that of a bell sticker? If the dude wanted to be romantic, he should have went with a heart; that's a classic." Alya said. Suddenly someone slipped the letter out of Nino's hands.

"Hey-"

"Excuse me, guys, but this isn't yours." Adrien said, letter in hand.

He turned and handed Marinette her letter, making sure she saw the little bell sticker Shining at her. And like he hoped she would, she instantly recognized who the letter was from, and her whole face lit up like a shining star. Marinette bit her lip gently as she took the letter with one hand and tucked hair behind her ear with the other hand.

"Thank you, Adrien." Marinette said, carefully slipping the letter into her bag. She grabbed a book out of her locker and Adrien noticed a light pink dust in her face. Adrien couldn't believe that he made her blush.

"Oh my god. You know who sent you that letter, don't you?" Alya said and Marinette shrugged.

"I might have someone in mind." Marinette cheekily responded and Nino wrapped an arm around Alya.

"Then, spill, girl. Who went the letter?" Alya asked and Marinette straightened her back.

"Just because I think I know who sent the letter doesn't mean I know who really sent it. Besides, if this really is a secret admirer, I don't want to embarrass them by showing everyone the letter. What kind of a girl do you take me for?" Marinette answered smoothly and Adrien was highly impressed.

"I'm not asking you to show everyone, I'm asking you to show me." Alya said and Nino blinked.

"What about me?" Nino said and Alya waved him off.

"You're terrible at keeping secrets without someone to regulate you, and you know it." Alya said. Nino was clearly insulted, but he decided not to dwell on the subject, so he remained silent.

"No dice, Alya. Sorry." Marinette said, closing her locker and walking away.

"But, Marinette." Alya said, pulling away from Nino and went after her.

"I'm your best friend." The boys heard Alya say and Nino chuckled softly.

"Man, she's cute." Nino said and Adrien smiled.

"Well, for the sake of that admirer, let's hope Marinette can resist Alya." Adrien said.

"Yo, speaking of Marinette. Looks like you two are better now." Nino said and Adrien nodded.

"You think? I wasn't sure. I mean we barely spoke to each other today." Adrien said.

"True, but this time she thanked you and she said it with a smile on her face." Nino said and Adrien sighed.

"I don't know if that smile really counts. I think she was just excited about getting that letter." Adrien said and Nino shrugged.

"It's still a step in the right direction." Nino said and Adrien hesitated.

"Hope you're right." Adrien said and Nino looked down at his phone.

"Come on, dude, this is Marinette we're talking about. Chick's crazy about you." Nino said and Adrien bit his lip. Then Nino realized what he said.

"By that, I mean she's crazy about your friendship." Nino said quickly and Adrien his how amused he felt.

"Of course, what else could you possibly mean?" Adrien asked. Nino let out a soft squeak, clearing indicating that his mind went blank.

"Oh, dude, is that the time? I better get home and finish my birthday playlist." Nino said and Adrien blinked.

"Don't tell me that you're gonna work your own birthday party?" Adrien asked and Nino shook his head.

"Well, no, but I'm the best DJ I know. So I'm gonna put together the music today, so I can spend time with all my friends." Nino said and Adrien chuckled lightly.

"Alright Nino. I'll talk to you later." Adrien said and Nino ran off. It was a little surprising for Adrien to learn that Nino knew about Marinette's secret crush on him. It would make sense for Alya to tell Nino, especially since Nino was his best friend.

Under normal circumstances, Adrien might be a little annoyed at Nino for hiding something from him. But considering the fact that Adrien knew the secret, and had some of his own, the hero thought he could let this slide. Also, it was oddly fun to tease Nino, though Adrien knew he really shouldn't poke the beast. Adrien slipped some books into his bag and went out to his bodyguard.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 18,

Marinette couldn't believe her luck. Cat Noir put a letter in her locker today! She raced straight to her room so that she could read it right away.

"My! You sure are excited Marinette." Tiki said and Marinette giggled.

"Look, Tikki, Look." Marinette said, pulling the letter out of her bag and showing it to the little red Kwami.

"A black envelope with a bell sticker. Now who would... Cat Noir?" Tikki asked and Marinette bit her lip and nodded.

"Of course, who else Tikki? Wanna read it with me?" Marinette asked. She sat down on her bed and Tikki flew over and sat in Marinette's shoulder.

"I wonder what ol' Cat has to say, now?" Tikki said as Marinette opened the letter.

"Let's see 'Dear Bluebell,' Oh, he used the nickname he gave me yesterday." Marinette said. Tikki giggled and she went ahead and took the letter out of Marinette's hands.

"Aww." Marinette said disappointed and Tikki smiled.

"Perhaps I should read it to you." Tikki said and Marinette a pillow in her lap and hugged it tightly.

"Ok." Marinette said excitedly and Tikki began reading.

"I probably should have waited to talk to you again, but I can't help but feel like we left things unfinished. Last night, I brought you home and tucked you in bed without a proper goodbye. I think you'll be kind enough to excuse me for that." Tikki paused when Marinette giggled.

"I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun last night. And then I started to feel bad, because we both agreed that it wouldn't be wise for us to hang out everyday. But the thing about that, is that I want to be stupid and see you every single day." Tikki paused again to look up at Marinette. Her friend looked too shocked to speak, so the Kwami continued.

"As usual, you're probably smarter then I am, and so I thought perhaps you should be in charge of when I can come over or not. I was thinking that you could use something simple, like rocks. You can place black rocks outside of the window to your balcony to let me know I can come in; and you can use white rocks to let me know to stay away." Tikki read.

"I actually like that." Marinette said.

"Hopefully you'll like that idea, and we can spend more time together. I look forward to becoming better friends with you. Sincerely, your cat of the night." Tikki finished and Marinette blinked. She reached over and grabbed the letter out of Tikki's hands.

"Wow. 'Your cat of the night'? Sounds like the poem I wrote yesterday." Marinette commented and Tikki flew over to her.

"You mean the poem you threw off your roof?" Tikki asked and Marinette nodded.

"Yeah... Do you think Cat Noir found it?" Marinette asked and Tikki shrugged.

"I don't know; but anything is possible." Tikki said. Marinette pondered this for a moment, but then she just smiled.

"I won't dwell on that right now. I better see if I have some black paint." Marinette said and Tikki perked up.

"Ooo! Can I pick out the rocks?" Tikki asked.

"Oh, alright. Just remember that they need to be wide enough for Cat Noir to see them from the air, ok. Now please don't worry me by taking so long." Marinette said and Tikki hugged her face.

"I'll only take a moment." Tikki said and Marinette giggled as she watched the cute red thing fly away. Then Marinette turned and she started looking in her drawers for black paint.

"Hmm." She found ribbons and lace and fabric squares, but no paint. She looked up and she saw her personal calendar of Adrien's schedule and she quickly looked away. But then her eyes landed on her trunk; the one filled to the brim with future gifts she made for Adrien's next few birthdays. She suddenly felt like that was a waste of time, and she turned and noticed all of the pictures of Adrien on the wall.

"I'm back! I got- Marinette?" Tikki asked when she returned and Marinette sighed.

"As excited as I am with becoming good friends with Cat Noir, as Marinette, I can't help but get reminded of Adrien when I look around my room." Marinette said and Tikki flew over and handed Marinette the rocks.

"Perhaps you could put these out now and talk to him about it." Tikki suggested and Marinette stared at the rocks.

"These rocks are like black sand dollars. And that is really cool, but I don't know if Cat Noir would really be interested in de-Adrien-izing my room." Marinette said and Tikki held up her hands in defense.

"Possibly. But you'll never know if you never ask." Tikki said and Marinette stared at her a moment.

"Heh, why are you always right?" Marinette asked and Tikki giggled.

"I'm just older then you, that's all. I've learned a lot of lessons that you'll learn one day too." Tikki said, making Marinette laugh as well. Marinette opened her window to the roof and gingerly placed the rocks along the windowsill. Marinette scanned the skyline briefly, looking for any sign of Cat Noir, before she closed her door again.

"Come on, Cat, I know you're out there somewhere." Marinette whispered aloud. She placed her hands on the wooden panel simply waiting, almost begging, for Cat Noir to show up.

"Come on, Cat Noir. Come on, come on, come on, Cat. Come on, Cat." She whispered before resting her forehead about her hands. She was silent for a moment, and then her heart skipped a beat when she heard something land on her roof. Cat Noir went over and did the 'shave and a haircut' knock. Marinette laughed and knocked twice to complete the sequence and then opened the window to let him in.

"Hey, Marinette. I- woah." Cat Noir was cut off when Marinette reaches over and gave him an incredibly warm hug.

"Thank you for the letter Cat Noir." Marinette said with a content hum, and he couldn't help the pink dust that appeared on his face.

"You're... um... you're welcome, Marinette." Cat Noir said, before returning her hug.

"You know, you didn't have to do that." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled as he took a deep breath of her sweet perfume.

"I wanted to." Cat Noir whispered. Marinette allowed herself to be held for a moment longer, before pulling away from him.

"I'm glad to see you." Marinette said and Cat Noir nodded as she approached her trunk.

"With a hug like that, I'm not surprised." Cat Noir said and Marinette smiled.

"Well, I'm always happy to see you, but I meant 'I'm glad to see you' because maybe you can help me." Marinette said. Cat Noir couldn't help but Chuckle at this remark since it sounded like such a Ladybug thing to say.

"What did you want help with?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette let out a deep sigh.

"I was thinking of removing some things from my room." Marinette said and Cat Noir rose an eyebrow at this nervous comment.

"What kind of things?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette rocked from side to side.

"Just... well... things that make me think of Adrien." Marinette said and Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"Wha-why? I thought you loved him. At least that's who your ice cream represented." Cat Noir said and Marinette hugged herself.

"Listen, Cat Noir. I got to thinking about what you said yesterday. And you're right, there are several people in Paris who have pink lips and green eyes." Marinette said and Cat Noir couldn't believe his pointed ears. He just found out Marinette was in love with Adrien, and now Cat Noir has to go talk her out of it?

"Is there someone else?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette simply stared at him.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that. It's just my feelings for Adrien are a bit complicated and... I think I should go cold turkey for a little while. At least, until things get better." Marinette said and Cat Noir sighed.

"What did you want to start with?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette smiled warmly at him.

"Probably the trunk." Marinette said.

"What's in there?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette bit her lip in hesitation.

"Promise you won't make fun of me?" Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled sweetly.

"I might make jokes, but I wouldn't make fun of you." Cat Noir said and Marinette bashfully tucked some hair behind her ear.

"These are presents I made for Adrien's birthday." Marinette said, lifting the lid. Cat Noir's eyes widened and he whistled as he walked over to the box.

"Wow. How many are there?" Cat Noir asked.

"Um... not sure... I think the last present I made for him, was for his 65th birthday. That means there's about 50 gifts in there." Marinette said and Cat Noir blinked at this.

"But you didn't- I mean... you said you've been crazy about him for a while, right? What did you get him for his birthday this year?" Cat Noir asked. Marinette chuckled softly and sat on her couch.

"Actually, I knitted a scarf for him. You know what's funny? I forgot to put my name on it, so when The Bubbler showed up to give Adrien a party, I put my name on a sticky note and put that on the box. I guess it fell off for something, because Adrien thought his dad bought him that gift." Marinette said with a giggle. Cat Noir was a little hurt by this revelation. He remembered being so happy when Nathalie handed him that box and told his father got him the present.

"Why did you let him believe that?" Cat Noir asked. Marinette leaned back on the couch with a loud sigh.

"I just couldn't. You should have seen how happy he was, thinking his father bought it for him. He would have been crushed if I walked over and told him that I was the one knitted the scarf." Marinette said and Cat Noir gave her a small smile.

"Well, I suppose you can keep these cool boxes and donate the gifts to the less fortunate. You know, if you don't want to give them all to Adrien at once." Cat Noir said. Marinette blinked at this comment and sat up.

"I actually love that idea." Marinette admitted and Cat Noir beamed with pride.

"Well then. Let's dive right in, shall we?" Cat Noir asked, as he tried to crawl inside the trunk with the presents. Not only was this reaction unexpected, but it was so stupid that Marinette couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't think we'll both fit in there." Marinette said and then they laughed together.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 19,

"Oh! This sweater is so soft!" Cat Noir said, holding it up to his face and nuzzled it in a very catlike manner.

"I swear Cat Noir, you're treating that sweater like a blanket." Marinette said.

"Then I better treat this blanket like a sweater." Cat Noir said, picking up the blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders. This simple act made Marinette laugh.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think that you love these gifts more then Adrien ever could." Marinette commented and Cat Noir paused.

"You know, I think it's rather sweet that you made all of these presents for Adrien." Cat Noir said and Marinette blinked.

"You do?" Marinette asked and he nodded.

"Well, you guys are still in high school. It's kinda nice to know you genuinely expect to spend the next 50 years by someone's side." Cat Noir said. Marinette tucked some hair behind her ear to help hide the fact that she was blushing a little.

"I'm surprised to hear that reaction from a guy." Marinette admitted.

"Guys and girls are a lot alike, you know." Cat Noir said and Marinette shrugged.

"Yeah, no, I know. It's just, when guys see their guy friend obsess over a girl, they see it as normal. When girls see their girl friend obsess over a guy, we see it as normal. It's just, when a girl see a guy obsess or a guy sees a girl obsess, signals get crossed and they think it's creepy." Marinette said.

"Well... I guess that happens more often then not... but I don't think these gifts are creepy." Cat Noir said and Marinette sighed softly.

"Well, I have 500 pictures of him I need to throw out, and I have a projector sized version of his schedule I can retract from the roof there, I also make him a passion fruit macaroon once a week just in case I get the opportunity to give it to him... I don't suppose there's a chance you like passion fruit?" Marinette asked, pulling the carefully wrapped macaroon from her little purse.

"Actually I do." Cat Noir said and Marinette handed him the dessert.

"Here, I hope you like it." Marinette said with a small smile and Cat Noir blinked.

"It's beautiful; but are you sure I can have it?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded.

"I'm sure, Cat. I don't think I'll be making them for a while. I would like this one to be enjoyed instead of thrown away." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled warmly. He gently unwrapped the macaroon and took a bite.

"Mmm, wow." Cat Noir said and Marinette exhaled in relief.

"Oh thank goodness. I was worried that it wasn't very good." Marinette said and Cat Noir rose an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Wait, you've made this macaroon for how long, and you're worried it wasn't good?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course I thought it was good and my parents thought they were good- but it's not the same. Adrien has a personal chef who could probably make him great passion fruit macaroons. His chef could probably have fresh passion fruits plucked from the passiflora edulis plants deep in the tropical forests and flown directly to his kitchen, to make the world's greatest macaroons; while I try to do my homework and work on my fashion designs and help my friends and fight... er..." Marinette froze as she struggled to say anything that didn't involve Hawk Moth.

"Germs and diseases. I mean it's hard to become the world's greatest fashion designer when you're sick all the time." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled at her.

"I suppose that's true. At least you're in a great town for fashion. I mean you get to live in the same city as your favorite fashion designer." Cat Noir said and Marinette smirked.

"Sure I do, but do you remember his name?" Marinette tested, sitting beside Cat Noir with eyes that challenged him.

"Easy, Gabriel Agreste." Cat Noir said with a smirk, and he turned his head towards Marinette.

"You told me that yesterday, did you think... that I... forgot?" Cat Noir blushed when he noticed how close their faces were. They were so close that they could feel each other's warm breath on their skin.

Cat Noir glanced down at Marinette's soft lips; and when he looked back into her eyes, he saw that she was looking at his lips as well. Both teens sat there, too nervous to lean in for the kiss they both wanted. Heartbeats grew louder and harder until it's vibrations physically rocked their bodies, ever so subtly. It's unclear if one or both moved forward, but somehow their noses caressed each other and their warm fog was replaced with panic. They quickly looked away from each other with cherry red faces.

"Forgot? Who you? No, I didn't expect you to forget." Marinette said, standing up.

"Not to say I expect you to remember everything I tell you. I mean it happens, you are human after all- Not to disregard you as a hero or anything, because you are important- Not to imply that people think you aren't important! Though some see you as a sidekick instead of a hero- Not that I do! I-I think you're- Woah!" Marinette tried to walk away, but she tripped over a present and fell over. When she fell, she knocked over a tower of empty boxes they piled up and they toppled over and buried her. Cat Noir gasped and picked the boxes off her.

"Marinette, are you ok?" He asked and Marinette giggled nervously when she sat up.

"No- I mean, yes, I mean... heh, I'm ok." Marinette said as she felt herself calming down.

"I think this is the last gift." Cat Noir said, picking it up off of the ground and opening it. It was a very nice looking watch that had a symbol in the face of the watch. He saw this symbol on a few of the gifts, but he didn't focus on it until now. I was a large capital A, with a small capital G in the middle. At first he though the G was a C because it lined up so perfectly with the A.

"'A.G.' is for Adrien Agreste?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded.

"I know Agreste starts with another A, but I thought A.G. was better then A.A., you know." Marinette said and Cat Noir nodded.

"I guess that would be less confusing." Cat Noir said.

"I was thinking that Adrien might want to run his own business one day, and he could use this symbol for his company. Of course, if he was happy and content with staying a model, then I would use this symbol to create an Adrien fashion line." Marinette said and Cat Noir smiled.

"You know... I think you should give this one to Adrien." Cat Noir said and Marinette hesitated.

"I don't know. That was his present for his 40th birthday, I don't know if he would like this now." Marinette said and Cat Noir shrugged.

"I think he would like it more then the kids." Cat Noir said. Marinette took the box out of his hands and gazed at the watch for a moment.

"I'll think about it." Marinette said, when she realized Cat Noir was right. She put the watch on her desk and she glanced at her desk chair.

Suddenly she remembered telling Cat Noir about how she fell in love with Adrien. But then she realized something very important about that conversation that she didn't notice before. Yesterday she said 'I was still upset about the gum'... she never expanded on that. And yet Cat Noir responded with 'it wouldn't be ridiculous to think he put the gum on your seat'...

How did Cat Noir know that the gum was on her seat if she didn't tell him? Unless... he was in the room when it happened. But that could only mean that Cat Noir was one of her classmates!

"Are you ok, Marinette?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette whipped around and smiled.

"I'm fine, Cat Noir." Marinette said, trying not to think about it. She didn't want to figure out Cat Noir's secret identity, only to be his friend. Besides, she's probably mistaken about Cat Noir being a classmate of hers anyways. The odds of Ladybug and Cat Noir attending the same school, in the same grade, and the same class were so low, the notion was almost laughable.

"When are you gonna take this stuff to the kids, then?" Cat Noir asked.

"As soon as you help me pack it all up and give me a lift." Marinette said, just barely biting her lip. Cat Noir blinked at the subtle flirtatious way she said this and smiled.

"Well, all you had to do was ask." Cat Noir said as he started collecting the gifts.

"I knew I could count on you." Marinette said. She reached over and lovingly scratched Cat Noir's chin until he purred softly.

"Thanks, kitty." She half-whispered before grabbing a basket. Cat Noir gazed at her with half-lidded eyes, simply trying to memorize how beautiful she looked.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 20,

"Thank you again, for your generous donation." Madame Trotter said to Marinette, who smiled.

"I was kind of worried the kids wouldn't like this stuff. I'm glad Cat Noir talked me into doing it anyways." Marinette said and Madame Trotter stood beside her.

"Yes; that Cat Noir is really one of a kind. As famous as he is, it's almost surprising that he plays with the kids in such a way." Madame Trotter said and Marinette nodded as they watched the hero.

He was pouncing around, letting the little kids ride on his back and spoke oddly to make them laugh. Marinette Hayes to admit it, but watching him with the kids was so adorable, she could feel her heart falling deeper for Cat.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'll keep him." Marinette said and Madame Trotter smiled.

"It's nice to see the children so happy." She commented and Marinette blinked.

"Is something wrong, Madame Trotter?" Marinette asked and the woman sighed heavily.

"I'm worried, young lady. My heart goes out for the children, but for some, money is the only thing that matters." Madame Trotter said and Marinette paused.

"Are you having financial troubles, Madame?" Marinette asked and Madame Trotter hesitated.

"Dear, one will always have financial troubles; that may never change. I am worried lately because I am concerned for the children. Our building is, uh... rent controlled, and the rent has been raised." Madame Trotter said and Marinette took a sharp breath.

"Are you gonna-" she froze when she realized how loudly she said this sentence.

"Are you gonna lose the home?" Marinette asked softly. She didn't want to raise any panic in the children after all.

"We have some savings for emergencies and whatnot. We should be fine for the following three months. But after that, who knows?" Madame said speaking softly as well.

"What are you gonna do?" Marinette said and Madame Trotter shrugged.

"If I need to, I can open up my home to the orphans, or those I can. The others would be sent to larger orphanages or foster homes that have the room for them." Madame Trotter said and Marinette stared at her.

"I don't understand... you're not even gonna try to save this place?" Marinette asked and Madame Trotter sucked her teeth rhythmically.

"Don't misunderstand, young one. This building has been in my life as long as I can remember. And I can try to raise extra money... having the children make simple things to sell. Possibly raise some awareness for the home; which might convince a couple to adopt... I do so much of that already, I don't know what else I could really do. These children are my world, and I want them all to be happy, but I am just one person. I'll do the best I can, but there is only so much that I can do." Madame Trotter said sadly and Marinette was silent for a moment.

It's true that there are lots of orphans all over the world. Most caretakers get some money from the government, but there are so many places that rely on the kind of donations of others.

"Is there any way I can help?" Marinette asked and Madame Trotter smiled sweetly.

"There is always a way to help, Marinette. And I will welcome the charity of you and your friends. But for today, I think you have done enough." Madame Trotter said and she sighed when she looked at Cat Noir again.

"This shall be a day the children will remember for many years. I would like to thank you both for that." Madame Trotter said, almost wistfully. Madame watched them play for a few seconds longer before she sighed and walked over to them.

"Ok, children. It is time to say goodbye to Marinette and Cat Noir." Madame Trotter said.

"Aw." All the children, including Car Noir, said. Madame simply clapped her hands and shook her head at them.

"I'm sorry children, but we need to finish the daily chores. But don't worry, we will have tea and cookies in the garden when you're done. And if you're good, I'll read a story to you during tea time." Madame Trotter said. The kids slowly let go of Cat Noir and left the room with quiet goodbyes.

"Thank you for your time, Cat Noir." Madame Trotter said. Cat Noir smiled and waved her offs

"Oh, don't worry, it was nothing." Cat Noir said and Madame Trotter offered him a small smile.

"No, Cat Noir. It means something to me, and it means something to the children... so from all of us, thank you." Madame Trotter said and Cat Noir blinked at how raw her words were.

"I... uh... um..." Cat Noir hesitated. Marinette walked over and grabbed his hand sweetly, and the action made his heart skip a beat.

"I think you took his breath away." Marinette said, half-teasing. He smiled lovingly at her and nodded at Madame Trotter.

"You're welcome, Madame Trotter." Cat Noir finally said and Trotter smirked at them.

"I better return to the children. It was nice to meet you both." Madame Trotter said, turning towards the door and opening it for them.

"Nice to meet you too." Marinette said.

"Same." Cat Noir said and they walked out.

"I hope you didn't mind me grabbing your hand." Marinette said as they walked down the steps.

"I don't mind, but what made you do it?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette shrugged.

"I don't know... I just thought you needed a hand." Marinette said and then she rubbed the back of her neck.

"That sounds a little off, but you know what I mean." Marinette said and Cat Noir chuckled.

"True. Are you ready to go back to your place?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette hesitated. She turned back towards the orphanage and stared at it. She let go of Cat Noir's hand and held herself as she saw one of the child in the window, washing it.

"Marinette?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette sighed.

"I'm fine, Cat Noir." Marinette said softly and he stood beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Marinette." Cat Noir whispered gently and Marinette turned towards him slightly.

"Yeah." She breathes out and Cat Noir bit his lip at how sad she sounded.

"Besides, we are out in public, in the middle of the day. If someone catches us together, people might think we are secretly dating." Cat Noir said and this response surprised Marinette. But then she smiled and tried not to laugh.

"Could be worse. People might think you're cheating on Ladybug with me AND Madame Trotter." Marinette said and Cat Noir nodded.

"True, That would be worse. I'd hate to be labeled as a cheater." Cat Noir said and Marinette smirked.

"True, even if Madame Trotter might be worth it." Marinette commented and they both chuckled.

"I can't believe how thick her accent is." Cat Noir said and Marinette nodded.

"I know it's, like, three times thicker." Marinette said.

"More like four." Cat Noir corrected and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"I was trying to be nice." Marinette said and Cat Noir chuckled again.

"Are you ready to go home now?" Cat Noir said. Marinette smiled and slowly reached her hands up and around Cat Noir's neck.

"I am now." Marinette said and Cat Noir cleared his throat to help clear his head. He wrapped an arm around her and extended his baton.

"Don't forget to hand on tight." Cat Noir said, trying to ignore his racing heart and sound calm. Marinette rested her head on his chest.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." Marinette purred our softly and Cat Noir took in a shuddered breath before jumping into the air. Marinette closed her eyes when she rested her head against him.

Sure, she kind of felt like a rag doll when Cat Noir carries her like that, but she also got the opportunity to focus on the sounds around them. The steady rush of them flying through the air, the sound of Cat Noir's baron extending and retracting, the sound of the tile beneath them as Cat Noir ran on the roof. Marinette couldn't really enjoy these sounds when she was Ladybug. No, she was always running towards some villains or towards someone who needed saving. She couldn't stop to smell the roses when there was someone who needed her. All too soon, Cat Noir brought them back to Marinette's roof, and he set her down as he put his baton away.

"I believe this is your stop Madame." Cat Noir said. Marinette opened her eyes and smirked at the hero.

"I'm Marinette, not Trotter." Marinette said and Cat Noir said.

"You don't get my jokes, Ladybug doesn't get my jokes, Rena Rouge doesn't get my jokes... but THAT was totally one of my jokes, you little thief." Cat Noir said and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Sure, right." Marinette said sarcastically.

"As if your jokes haven't been used by every wannabe comedian for the past hundred years." Marinette said. Cat Noir put his hand on his heart and stumbled back as if he had been shot.

"Ouch, ooo, that hurt." He said and Marinette giggled. But then she thought of something and she grew concerned.

"Hey... speaking of Ladybug... what do you think she'll say about us spending time together?" Marinette said and Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"Um... I'd like to think that she'd be ok with it, as long as we were careful." Cat Noir said and Marinette shrugged.

"But even the chance... I mean..." Marinette said and Cat Noir bit his lip.

"I think we can do this for a little while, and Ladybug will be ok with it." Cat Noir said and Marinette looked away.

"How do you know that?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir swallowed roughly.

"She cares very deeply about who have been akumatized. And... and..." Cat Noir's voice trailed off as an idea occurred to him. He pulled his baton back out and turned it into a phone.

"Cat Noir?" Marinette asked as he held the device up to his face.

"Hey, Ladybug." He started and Marinette's eyes widened.

"There's no emergency right now, I just wanted to tell you something. First, I'm sorry you got sick, and I hope you are doing better. Second of all, the person who got akumatized that day, Marinette, she's doing better now, but I thought maybe you could help her too." Cat Noir paused to look at Marinette.

"You see..." He slowly hesitated.

"She got hurt by a friend and that's why she got akumatized. Now I've been spending time with her, helping her, being a good friend to her and all... It occurred to me that maybe you could talk to this Adrien Agreste kid." Cat Noir said and Marinette's eyes widened at this notion.

"I would do it myself, but I'm afraid I would get too emotionally invested to get some real answers out of him." Cat Noir said and Marinette blinked. It's true, she didn't get any real answers about what happened that day. As Ladybug, she might actually learn what happened.

"I trust that you won't let us down milady. I know that this will mean a lot to my friend Marinette... If you could talk to Adrien, possibly tonight, and get back to Marinette; she'll appreciate it, and so will I. Oh, don't forget, Adrien lives at the building where we fought the Bubbler and the Collector. Pleeease talk to him, milady." Cat Noir said, ending his message and Marinette took a deep breath.

"Well... I don't think Ladybug could say no to that." Marinette said, almost regrettably.

Cat Noir walked over and gently held her face in his hands. Then with a smile, he gently pressed their foreheads together. It wasn't a kiss, but in a small way, it felt more intimate then that.

"Everything is gonna be ok, Marinette... I promise." Cat Noir quietly vowed. For a brief moment, Marinette wasn't sure if she could think, speak, or breathe. However, the clock tower chimes and Cat Noir pulled away and sighed.

"I gotta go. I got... a thing." Cat Noir said. For a few seconds, Marinette was disappointed, but then she smiled sympathetically.

"That's ok, Cat Noir. I'll talk to you later." Marinette said and they waved at each other. Cat Noir took off and went home; all the while wondering if he had just made a huge mistake.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 21,

If Marinette was going to go to Adrien's as Ladybug, she was going to do it after dinner. She knew he simply did piano after dinner, but that was really it. However, Marinette wasn't sure if she had the nerves to face Adrien, even as Ladybug. She was pacing back and forth in her room, constantly turning towards the clock.

"Are you ok, Marinette?" Tiki asked and Marinette sighed.

"I'm a little nervous, Tikki. I don't think I've said 5 words to Adrien since I got Akumatized, and now I'm suppose to have a conversation with him?" Marinette said and Tikki blinked.

"I know Cat Noir said maybe you could go over tonight, but I'm sure he'll understand if you wait until tomorrow or the next day." Tikki said and Marinette sighed.

"I know, he thinks I'm sick, or I was sick, or whatever. But I can't be sick forever, Tikki. Not to mention the fact that the longer I wait, the harder it will be to go over there." Marinette said and Tikki but her lip.

"So you're going over there tonight?" Tikki asked and Marinette slowed her pacing.

"I guess I am... If I can only find the strength." Marinette said and Tikki paused to thinks

"Do you remember the feeling you had when I first came into your life?" Tikki asked.

"Are you kidding; I was terrified of you, Tikki. I didn't know what to think of you." Marinette said and Tikki smiled.

"Marinette, you didn't want to be Ladybug. You didn't want to go up against villains and be responsible for keeping the peace. But you managed to overcome your fear because others needed you to be strong for them." Tikki said and Marinette paused.

"Well, I couldn't stand by and do nothing." Marinette said and Tikki nodded.

"Precisely, Marinette. That was incredibly strong of you. Choosing a life you didn't want to help others? Most people can't do that." Tikki said and Marinette rubbed the back of her neck.

"I guess." Marinette said, though she still felt unsure. She went over to her computer and pulled up pictures of Cat Noir off of the Ladyblog. There was a picture of Cat Noir running with a young child. Marinette smiled at how boldly confident his smile was. She stared at this digital image and her heart fluttered when she remembered how warm he was as they looked at the stars.

"Cat Noir thinks Ladybug talking to Adrien will help Marinette heal... and... perhaps he's right." Marinette said and Tikki looked at Cat Noir's picture too.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Tikki said and Marinette giggled.

"I might tease Cat Noir, but I get the feeling that he's a lot smarter then he lets on." Marinette said and Tikki smiled.

"Are you ready to go talk to Adrien now?" Tikki asked and Marinette hesitated.

"I don't know... But I'm about to find out. Spots on, Tikki." Marinette said as she stood up.

-

"Well, Romeo, any chance you're gonna have your head examined before bluebell comes over?" Plagg asked Adrien. The second Adrien returned home, Plagg wanted to say 'what is wrong with you?' but with Adrien's schedule, he didn't have the opportunity before Adrien got whisked away.

"Come on, Plagg; don't you think I'm nervous enough?" Adrien asked and Plagg dangled upside down in the air.

"I have no idea what's going on in that mind of yours. I mean why would you ask Ladybug here to begin with?" Plagg asked and Adrien hesitated to answer. He walked over to his piano and started playing.

"I don't know, Plagg. I'm not 100% sure why I did it. It... just felt like something that needed to be said. Who knows, maybe this is best for everyone." Adrien said and Plagg sighed.

"Are you still beating yourself up over what happened? I get it, you made a mistake and you owned up to it. The only thing you can do, is to be a patient and be there for Marinette. So let it go already." Plagg said and Adrien slammed his fingers down on the ivory keys. The sound lingers in the air like a thick fog and Adrien swallowed a sob.

"I broke Marinette's hand." Adrien somehow managed to say and Plagg couldn't deny Adrien's growing sadness.

"Even if Marinette somehow manages to forgive me, how am I ever suppose to forgive myself for doing something so horrible. Especially to someone as sweet as Marinette." Adrien whispered, almost noiselessly. If Plagg wasn't a Cat, he may not have heard a sound. Adrien wanted to cry his eyes out, but he didn't want Ladybug to catch him crying. He looked over at the clock and he remembered that Nino's party was tomorrow. Perhaps Marinette wasn't coming because she needed to work on Nino's gift. Or perhaps it was too soon to have her talk to him.

"Oooooo." Adrien whined before putting his forehead down on the piano. He then put his elbows on the piano and placed his hands on the back of his head.

"I don't think she's coming Plagg." Adrien said. Even as Ladybug, Marinette can't bring herself to talk to him. Adrien's breath quickened at the thought and he finally allowed himself to cry; and boy did he cry. He cried at hurting Marinette, for making her vulnerable to Haw Moth, for making her cry, for making her lose trust in him.

"Ad-" Plagg whispered before stopping for some reason. Adrien felt a gentle pressure on his back, it was a hand. It lovingly ran up and down his back in attempts to comfort him.

Adrien cried for himself too. For losing his temper, at feeling so helpless, for being so clueless, for the frustrating love story he found himself in the middle of, for feeling so desperately alone that he wonders if life would have been better for everyone if he had never been born.

But that's when Adrien realized, in this moment he wasn't alone. The hand of his back was joined by a head on his shoulder. This couldn't have been his father, the hand was too small to be his bodyguard, and much to gentle to be Nathalie's... then who...?

Adrien stiffened when he realized exactly who this was. He turned his head, and peered through his fingers to see dark hair and a red costume.

"Ladybug...?" Adrien breathes out, as he sat up. She looked at him and hesitated.

"I hope you don't mind my stopping by." Ladybug said, reaching over and gently wiping some tears off of his face. Adrien smiled a sad smile and held Ladybug's hand, so that it wouldn't leave his face. He still couldn't believe that she came.

"What are you doing here?" Adrien asked and Ladybug turned her head away before turning back.

"Why are you crying?" She asked and Adrien released Ladybug's hand and looked down.

"A few reasons... but mostly how my impulsive actions hurt someone I care about." Adrien admitted and Marinette's eyes widened.

"Ironically, that's why I'm here. Cat Noir asked me to talk to you, and ask you what happened between you and your friend, Marinette." Ladybug said and Adrien sighed.

"I feel so stupid." Adrien said.

"What...? Tell me what happened, and please start from the beginning." Ladybug asked and Adrien shifted.

"I don't want to go too much into detail, but I, um... I was talking to a friend about this girl I'm in love with." Adrien said bashfully.

"Really?" Ladybug said surprised.

"I know, it's almost stupid. I know I feel like a prized idiot for this whole thing. I wanted my friend to help me woo her... and we started fighting." Adrien said and Ladybug bit her lip.

"Does he love her too?" Ladybug asked and Adrien shook his head.

"No, nothing like that. He just feels like I allow feelings for her to overshadow everything. I guess he's right. I got mad at my friend for refusing to help me and... as it turns out, he knew things about her that she refused to tell me. I couldn't help but feel lied to and betrayed." Adrien said and Ladybug blinked.

"I suppose I can understand that, even if I'm not getting all of the details." Ladybug commented and Adrien blinked this time.

"You do?" Adrien asked and Ladybug nodded.

"Yes, please continue." Ladybug said.

"Well, I got so mad at my friend that I just couldn't calm down. Actually, it felt like our fight was the straw to break this camel's back. All of a sudden I felt years of repressed rage, disappointment, sadness all at once and I punched my locker. I need to go in some time after school and fix it, if I could find someone to help me." Adrien paused to look up at Ladybug's face.

"That's when Chloe came into the room and told me I was gonna have to do this insane fashion show with just the two of us. It felt like she didn't care about my feelings or my opinion l, so I felt used." Adrien said and Ladybug bit her lip.

"And then Marinette walked up to you?" Ladybug asked and Adrien closed his eyes.

"I felt like I was being attacked... 'she'll never like you', 'she'll never love you', 'the best part is the that there is only two models; you and me'. So when I felt somebody touch my shoulder, I guess I kinda retaliated and I knocked her down. I pulled her to her feet and said some rotten things to her." Adrien opened his eyes, but he didn't possess the strength to see the expression her face. He turned his back to her and sighed.

"She was wearing these gray gloves at school today. Looking back, I kinda remember holding her hand when I said that stuff. I must have squeezed her hand pretty roughly if she needs to wear gloves. I told her that I was sorry, and she wants to give our friendship a chance; but it doesn't feel like it's enough. She looks sad when she looks at me... I just... want her to be happy again." Adrien meant every word of this and his honesty took her by surprise. Ladybug looked down at her sensitive hand and then at the sensitive boy.

"Adrien... may I share something private with you?" Ladybug asked and Adrien blinked.

"I'll keep it a secret, if that's what you mean. Are you sure?" Adrien asked, turning to look at her. Ladybug looked to the side and sighed.

"No." Ladybug said and Adrien bit his lip.

"Then are you sure that you want to take the chance?" Adrien asked sadly and Ladybug recalled something.

"Anything is a chance nowadays. But as a superhero, we need to protect people and make sure that they feel safe." Ladybug people and Adrien was shocked to hear her quote Cat Noir.

"Fair point." Adrien said. They both sat on the piano bench, beside one another, with their backs towards the piano.

"Let's see, where do I start?" Ladybug muttered aloud, which was kinda adorable.

"Sometimes I wish I were as brave as Cat Noir." Ladybug admitted and Adrien blinked.

"You do?" Adrien asked and Ladybug giggled softly.

"He's so cocky, I may never tell him; but yes. He's had this incredible strength since day one." Ladybug said and Adrien blushed a moment.

"Well, I always liked you as Ladybug." Adrien said and Ladybug rubbed the back of her neck.

"I... never wanted to be Ladybug. I actually tried to pass the responsibility to someone I thought was more qualified." Ladybug said and Adrien stared at her, shocked.

"I had no idea." Adrien said and Ladybug nodded.

"Cat Noir is the one who gave me the strength to believe in myself. And through the most difficult times, it's still Cat Noir's faith in me, that keeps me going." Ladybug admitted and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

"I think that's very sweet." Adrien said.

"But as much as I respect, trust, and love Cat Noir as a partner, well, there have been several times when I feel like I let Cat Noir down." Ladybug said and Adrien blinked.

"What are you talking about?" Adrien asked.

"Sometimes, when we are fighting, Cat Noir will fall victim to one of the villains powers. Like the Puppeteer, or the Malediktator, Dark Cupid, Despair Bear... I can't help but feel like there was something I could do to prevent it." Ladybug said and Adrien's shoulders dropped.

"Honestly, I think Timebreaker hurt me the most though. When I think about what she did to Cat Noir, I could just break down and cry." Ladybug said sadly and Adrien thought back.

"She has the ability to turn back time by touching others and making them disappear. But she never touched Cat Noir." Adrien said and Ladybug sighed.

"Yes, she did. Remember, two Timebreakers, Two Ladybugs, and one Cat Noir. The original Timebreaker tried to come after me, and..." Ladybug paused to look away.

"Cat Noir sacrificed himself for me, and I held him until he... faded away completely." Ladybug said and Adrien hesitated.

"I'm sure he knew that you would fix everything." He said and Ladybug turned to him.

"You're probably right. But you know there is one thing I do wish I could apologize to Cat Noir for." Ladybug commented and Adrien hesitated.

"What's that? I mean, can I know?" Adrien asked, and Ladybug looked down at her hands.

"Sometimes I'm required to lie in order to protect my secret identity. And once I had to lie to Cat and tell him... I loved him." Ladybug said sadly. Adrien heard these words and was confused for only a moment before he knew exactly what she was talking about. That's why Marinette told Cat Noir she loved him, even though Ladybug always said she was in love with another.

"Well... why that?" Adrien asked as gently as he could.

"I told him I loved him because it was the first thing that came to mind. I feel bad about it, but I can't tell him I'm sorry for obvious reasons." Ladybug said and Adrien sighed.

"Yeah, I understand." Adrien said and Ladybug glanced at him.

"At least things are different between you and Marinette. First of all, you can apologize- and you have, where as I can't." Ladybug said and Adrien nodded.

"Yeah." Adrien muttered and Ladybug smiled at him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I do think you're a good person." Ladybug said and Adrien looked at her.

"Honest?" Adrien asked and Ladybug nodded.

"I do." Ladybug said simply. Adrien hesitated before he stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out at the twinkling lights of Paris and sighed.

"Adrien?" Ladybug asked and he sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder if I am a good person. I have been alone for so long that I feel inadequate around others- who have been sociable all their lives." Adrien said and Ladybug walked over to him.

"You might make mistakes every now and again, but you have a kind heart. And if you ask me, that's better then all the riches in the world." Ladybug said and Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Try telling that to my dad. He is so busy with work, he knows nothing about me. If it wasn't for Nathalie and my bodyguard, I'd be completely alone. I hate being locked up in this house all the time, not that he cares about that." Adrien vented and he leaned against the windowsill.

"He just wants you to be safe." Ladybug said. Adrien recalled Marinette saying something similar before, to Cat Noir; but it didn't make him feel better.

"As selfish as it is, I sometimes wish I could move out or run away from all this. I took up modeling to try and get closer to father, but that didn't work. If anything, being a model makes me more busy and it's just one more way he can keep me under his thumb." Adrien said and Ladybug froze. What was she suppose to say?

"Obviously, I can't really order you to stay or leave. But I do know that there are many kids who wish to run away, and then they quickly learn that they never should have run away from their problems." Ladybug said and Adrien nodded.

"Yeah... I know." Adrien said sadly and Ladybug sighed.

"Sometimes, parents will kick their children out of the house and banish them from their families forever. And sometimes... in rare occasions, sometimes the people you're living with aren't the people you should be living with." Ladybug said and Adrien blinked and slowly turned towards her.

"What?" Adrien said this with a mix of confusion, sadness and hope. Like a stranger walking up to a kicked puppet and telling them 'you don't deserve to be abused; would you like to come home with me?'. And it just broke Ladybug's heart to see Adrien like that.

"Perhaps it's a little silly, but I'm reminded of those two beloved children's movies. One called 'Matilda', and another called 'Secondhand Lions'. The first is about a wonderfully brilliant young girl named Matilda. She's completely overlooked by her family and she learns that she can be powerful all on her own. Secondhand Lions is about this young boy named Walter, who is forced to live with his grand uncles when his mother abandons him.

"In the end, for both kids, the parents tried to take them away from someone who genuinely cared for them. And in both cases, the children didn't want to go back and their parents recognized that they were not the best people to raise their children. Matilda and Walter finally got to live with a family who loves them and allows them to be children again." Ladybug said and Adrien thought about this a moment.

"Maybe I should watch those movies." Adrien commented and Ladybug smirked.

"Maybe you should watch them with Marinette." Ladybug suggested.

"You think she'll agree to that?" Adrien asked and Ladybug shrugged.

"She might, if you asked nicely." Ladybug said. Adrien blushed a little at the idea, though he tried not to.

"So you don't think I'm being ridiculous for wanting to run away?" Adrien asked and Ladybug sighed.

"Not ridiculous. I think everyone wants to run away at some point, for one reason or another. And I know you feel bad for hurting Marinette, so you probably don't want to do anything reckless for a while. But at the end of the day, all that matters is what you think. If you think you'll be happier living somewhere else, then nothing I say can change that opinion.

"All I'm saying, is if you really do choose to run away, be like Matilda or Walter and be sure. Know where everyone stands, be confident that this is something you want to do, because you may not see your family again for a long time. And also, if you're gonna run away, please know where you're going." Ladybug said logically.

"Do you think I should run away?" Adrien asked.

"It doesn't matter what I think. This is really about you and how you feel. If you really feel so strongly about it, then my opinion is obsolete. If you really need my opinion you either want me to say 'yes' so that you have someone to agree with you; or you want me to say 'no', to give you a reason to stay. And I don't deserve the responsibility of potentially ruining your life." Ladybug said and Adrien blinked.

"I didn't mean... um..." Adrien hesitated and Ladybug smiled.

"I know. Listen, Adrien. Life is full of choices, whether we like it or not. And, more often then not, choices get made for us, and we have to live with the choices others have made." Ladybug said.

"Are you sure about that? 'Most of the time', I mean?" Adrien asked, shocked and Ladybug wasn't phased by his doubt. She knew exactly what to say.

"Yes. Take Hawk Moth for instance. He made one choice that easily affects every Parisian in Paris. He decided not to use his powers for the greater good. Without him, there wouldn't be a Ladybug, or Cat Noir, or any other heroes. People wouldn't turn into villains, citizens wouldn't be afraid of akumas, and who knows what else would be different. But that's one decision that one person made and it did change things for others. On a small scale, we all have that power, even if we don't realize it." Ladybug said and Adrien couldn't help but stare.

"What to do with your life is highly important. The decision should be yours to make. Not mine, not your father's, you. As long as you have choice, the decision should be yours." Ladybug said. Adrien took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out.

"Good advice." Adrien said and Ladybug smiled.

"It's what I'm here for." Ladybug said.

"I'm glad you didn't tease me about crying." Adrien said and Ladybug giggled softly.

"Everyone cries, even me." Ladybug said and Adrien smiled.

"Part of me still can't believe you're here in my room." Adrien said and Ladybug nodded.

"Well, I am here. I won't disappear if you touch me, I'm not an illusion or anything." Ladybug said in a cheeky tone.

"That so? Let me check." Adrien said. He gently reached over and caressed Ladybug's cheek, the way he always wanted to. She froze at feeling the act she'd always wanted him to do. And for a brief moment, they could only stare at each other.

"I guess you're still here." Adrien whispered and Ladybug bit her lip.

"Unless I'm a dream." She whispered. Adrien rested his forehead against hers, never wanting her to leave.

"Then this dream is a true gift." Adrien said. Ladybug smiled as they both closed their eyes.

As Marinette, she wanted to swoon at how this all felt; but then she remembered Cat Noir. Being around Cat felt so similar and she started to feel weird. She's been in love with Adrien for so long, yet she can't help but feel the same about Cat. How could that be possible? She couldn't really be in love with Adrien AND Cat Noir- that just doesn't make any sense. Yet, somehow she felt like she was being unfaithful to one of them. She looked down at Adrien's lips. They were so close; just a breath away and she could be kissing him... the same way she wanted to kiss Cat Noir earlier.

"Um..." Ladybug hesitated, and then she took a step away from Adrien. What was the last thing he said again? 'This dream is a gift'? Wait a minute.

"Gift?" Ladybug said, her eyes widening.

That's right! Nino's party was tomorrow, and she hasn't finished her present for Nino yet. She was going to finish yesterday, but she got akumatized, and then there was the fashion show and then the ice cream with Cat Noir. And today she could have finished it, but she got so distracted by Cat Noir's letter that she completely forgot.

"Gift!" She quietly hissed to herself and Adrien bit his lip. On one hand it was a little adorable to see a little extra Marinette in Ladybug, but he also recognized that she was about to leave.

"I have to go Adrien." Ladybug said, she pulled out her yo-yo and she jumped onto the windowsill. She was about to fly off, but she froze when an idea popped into her mind. She turned back to Adrien, and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Adrien, perhaps... I could help you fix your locker tomorrow night." Ladybug suggested and Adrien blinked.

"I... I'd like that very much." Adrien said.

"Great; this time tomorrow?" Ladybug asked and Adrien smiled warmly at her.

"Sounds like a plan." Adrien said and Ladybug smiled back at him.

"See you tomorrow, Adrien." Ladybug said, right before swinging away.

"Thank you, milady." Adrien whispered as he watched his love disappear into the night.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 22,

"Well, Tikki-" Marinette was interrupted by a loud yawn on her lips.

"What do you think?" Marinette asked and Tikki floated over to her.

"This is Nino's birthday present, right?" Tikki asked and Marinette nodded tiredly.

"Correct." Marinette said.

"Let's see. These are very unique bracelets you designed; one for Nino and one for Alya. Uh... what makes them unique again?" Tikki asked.

"This is unique because it is a special take on those couple necklaces you sometimes see people wear. You know, the ones that you have two necklaces that make up one heart or another item like that." Marinette asked and Tikki nodded.

"Well, this is a modern take on that. For these bracelets they bring together a music video. One bracelets plays the film of the video, and the other bracelet plays the sound of the video. That way, when they are together, you get both." Marinette said and Tikki smiled.

"That's really cute, Marinette. I particularly enjoy the fact that these look like little turtles. I'll admit I was a little worried when you said you said you wanted to give Nino a turtle bracelet, but this looks different then the turtle Miraculous." Tikki said.

"See, when they put their wrists together, like when they hold hands, they press the turtle's heads together and it activates both of them at the same time." Marinette said as she picked up the bracelets and demonstrated it for Tikki.

"Wow, you got the hands and feet to go in when the head does." Tikki said and then she rhythmically bounced her head as she watched the music video.

"Is that Nino?" Tikki asked and Marinette nodded.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about him and sometimes he needs an extra boost of encouragement to believe in himself. Well he loves being a Disc Jockey and he loves movies, so I filmed a little Nino music video..." She paused to yawn.

"Of him in the moment of his craft, or being there for his friends, or being brave. I figured, whenever he is down, he can remind himself that he can do anything. And Alya can remind him too." Marinette said and Tikki smiled.

"That's a very nice thought Marinette." Tikki said and Marinette nodded.

"Thanks, Tikki." Marinette said and she yawned again.

"You should get some sleep while it's still dark out." Tikki said and Marinette put her head on her desk and yawned so largely it felt like her lips would splice open if her jaw didn't fall off first.

"I should... I... maybe wrap it first." Marinette said before she fell asleep. Tikki knee it was useless to try and wake her up, so instead she grabbed Marinette's blanket from the bed and wrapped it around the sweet girl's shoulders.

-

After an unmeasurable amount of time, that seemed instantaneous, the warming sun graced Paris with it's glowing presence. One of the first homes it hits, it the Agreste house. And outside of this glorious building was Nathalie, lazily sitting on the hood of her car, watching the rays of the sun.

Working with Gabriel turned into a fast paced escapade mixed with the heartbreaking moments of seeing how sad both Gabriel and Adrien really are; Nathalie recognized her unique position though. She looked over at Gabriel's window and sighed heavily.

That man was in near-constant agony over what happened with his wife. She'll admit, she did have a little crush on Gabriel before Emilie 'disappeared'. However with all this extra time they've been spending together, and seeing how hard he tries and how she's comforted him at his worse... she tried not to, but she ended up falling hopelessly in love with him.

It doesn't matter though; it never mattered. When he gets the Ladybug and Cat Noir Miraculous' he will bend the space-time continuum to ensure that they never received the peacock or the moth Miraculous'. That way Emilie would never had the chance to get hurt by that-... well... Gabriel simply wants to be reunited with his wife once again. Nothing wrong with that.

Who knows, when Gabriel fixes that, perhaps her feelings for him would have gone away too. After all, if Emilie hadn't been hurt, then her feelings never would have grown. And if, on the off chance that her feelings grew regardless of Emilie's condition, Nathalie probably would have quit instead of torturing herself day after day with witnessing how happy they were together.

Nathalie sipped her mocha and turned her gaze towards Adrien's window. Adrien was a good kid and she cared for him very much; at times, like he were her family. But with as much time she spends with the boy, she often had to be cold around him. Partly to enforce Gabriel's rules and demonstrate that she is merely following orders, as he should.

But she also did this for selfish reasons. She is already gonna be so hurt to say goodbye to Gabriel, she didn't want to twist the knife by getting too close to Adrien as well. Her heart just wasn't that strong. She knew it wasn't quite right to act that way around the boy, especially since all he wants, is for someone to listen to him and be there to hold him when he needs it.

A car drove up, and out stepped Adrien's bodyguard. Nathalie looked down at her watch and slid off her car.

"Sorry, Armand, I'll move my car to the side, now." Nathalie said. She pulled her car away and Nathalie parked her car, came back to the front of the house, and she was halfway up the stairs when she stopped completely. She hesitated a moment and then she turned around and walked over to Armand.

"Pardon my abruptness, Armand; but the other day you said Adrien was the closest thing you had to a son. Do you remember that?" Nathalie asked. Armand glanced away and then shrugged when he looked back at her.

"Is that true?" She asked. Armand looked up at Adrien's window and then back at Nathalie. He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.

"I know that bodyguards try not to get attached to the people they're protecting so that they can properly protect him them. But I want to tell you that I sincerely appreciate how much you care for him." Nathalie said and Armand tensed up a little.

"For what it's worth, I personally believe that you'll have a child of your own, one day." Nathalie said, giving him a gentle pat on the arm and she turned away.

"And I believe you deserve better then Gabriel." Armand stated and Nathalie froze.

"What?" Nathalie said, turning to look at him.

"For what it's worth... Gabriel isn't worthy of your heart." Armand said and Nathalie looked down sadly.

"That obvious?" She asked and Armand shrugged.

"I've been trained to notice the most subtle of facial expressions, and abnormal signs and behavior. I have discovered... several secrets... from remaining silent and noticing what's going on around me." Armand said and Nathalie sighed.

"In other words, 'obvious to you'." Nathalie said and Armand allowed a small smirk at her comment.

"Listen, Nat. Maybe we both need some help to... lead normal lives. You're a strong woman, you don't need someone to guard you, but perhaps we could be friends." Armand said and Nathalie blinked.

"I guess we both need a friend." Nathalie said with a smile and Armand nodded professionally. She stared at him for about three seconds and then she gave him a tilted smile.

"You know, you actually have a nice voice there, Armand. You should think about talking more." Nathalie said. Armand paused for a moment as he thought about it, and then he did a curt nod. Nathalie turned and walked into the house.

-

"Happy birthday!" Nino woke with a start when his parents entered his room. He grabbed his glasses off his side table and smiled when he saw them.

"Oh, dude! Cake for breakfast?" Nino said as they carried a small cake over to his bed. Nino sat up and put on his cap as they sat on the bed. His brother came into the room and stood beside them.

"Well, it is a special day." His father said.

"That's right, it's not every day our young man turns 15." His mother said.

"Don't I get cake, mom?" His little brother Chris asked and their mother chuckled.

"Calm down, Chris. At least let Nino blow out the candle first." Their father said and Chris groaned dramatically and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why do you care if he blows out the candle or not- Nino isn't even your son." Chris said and the room grew silent. Nino and his parents exchanged glances and then looked back at Chris.

"Who told you that?" Their mother asked.

"Nana told me. She talked about your old husband and how he died- shot overseas. And that's why Nino is so much older then I am. Why didn't you tell me about him; I'm a big kid!" Chris said and their mother scoffed.

"I'm gonna kill her. I am going to kill her." She said calmly, and then she stood up and exited the room.

"Why is she mad?" Chris asked.

"I better go talk to her." Their father said and he handed Nino the little cake.

"Hey, what about the cake?" Chris said and then he pouted. Nino looked at the cake, then at his brother, and then he smiled.

"We can eat the cake together, come on." Nino said and Chris beamed. They walked into the kitchen and Nino grabbed them some forks and two glasses of milk.

"Dig in." Nino said.

"Really?" Chris asked and Nino nodded.

"This is a small cake, it's mine, and I don't have to share it with anyone. If I want to eat it here with a fork instead of on a plate, then I can. But first..." Nino blew out the single solitary candle on the cake and then removed it.

"Can we eat it now?" Chris asked and Nino nodded.

"3... 2... 1... Eat!" Nino said and they both dig into the cake and started eating. Chris smiled at Nino when he finally took a sip of milk.

"Hey, Nino?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, bud." Nino said.

"How come no one treats me like a big kid?" Chris asked and Nino sipped his own milk.

"What do you mean?" Nino asked and Chris shrugged.

"Grownups don't let me do anything. I mean, I can't watch scary movies, I can't play first-person shooter games, I mean mom and dad won't even let me watch that show M.A.S.H." Chris said and Nino blinked confused.

"M.A.S.H.? That military show dad watches from the 70's? How do you even know about that show?" Nino asked.

"Sometimes dad puts it on when he thinks I'm asleep. There's this one doctor who walks around making jokes and talking weird and dressing funny. But when I asked if I can watch it, they said it was too mature for me." Chris said and Nino nodded.

"Well, maybe it is. Those doctors are in Korea during a war... war is hard for adults to deal with, so it can be hard for a kid- even a big kid." Nino said and Chris glared at him.

"You're just like mom and dad! Who never told me about your real dad. We're they never gonna tell me about him? Soldiers are cool; why wouldn't they tell me about him?" Chris asked.

"Listen, Chris-"

"What was his name?" Chris asked and Nino rubbed the back of his neck.

"... Chris..." Nino said softly.

"Nino, I want to know his name. Tell me." Chris demanded and Nino sighed heavily and stared at the cake.

"I just did... my dad's name was Chris." Nino said and Chris paused for a moment.

"They named me after your dad? Well... then they really should have told me!" Chris said and then he stomped off. Nino flinched when Chris slammed his bedroom door and Nino felt bad.

It never occurred to him that they were actually keeping a secret from Chris. It just never really came up. And surely they would have told him when he was older. He looked around briefly and he decided to call Alya... she can probably put this whole issue into perspective.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Just a fair warning... the next few chapters are gonna get a tad serious.

Chapter 23,

"I'm here, I'm here." Marinette said as she rushed into the park and over to Alya; gift in hand. Alya gently hushed her and turned her back to Marinette so she could focus more attention on her phone call.

"Sorry." Marinette whispered as she put her gift on the table alongside the few others.

"Don't mind her, Marinette. Nino called her with some family drama." Marinette heard. She looked up and she saw Adrien on a ladder hanging streamers up.

"Nino? Is everything ok?" Marinette said and Adrien shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Something about his dad and his brother, but that's pretty much it." Adrien said and Marinette sighed as she looked at Alya.

"Well, I hope it's not too bad. It would suck to have something serious happen on your birthday." Marinette said and Adrien climbed down the ladder and dusted off his hand.

"I guess if anyone would know, we would." Adrien said and Marinette eyed him.

"What does that mean?" Marinette asked and Adrien shrugged.

"Well, think about it. On my birthday Nino got akumatized and turned into the Bubbler. Then on your birthday your grandmother got akumatized and turned into Befana." Adrien said and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Well, at least if someone gets akumatized, we have Ladybug and Cat Noir to save the day." Marinette said and Adrien smiled.

"Well, they are an unstoppable team." Adrien said and Marinette nodded.

"You could say that again." Marinette commented and Adrien shrugged.

"They're an unstoppable team." Adrien said. Marinette blinked at this response and then she giggled softly.

"That's so stupid." Marinette said and Adrien shrugged.

"If it gets you to laugh, then it can't be that stupid." Adrien said and Marinette rolled her eyes. She looked at him and for a moment she felt awkward, and she bit her lip.

"So, um... how have you been?" Marinette asked and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ok, I guess. You know, two arms, two legs, ten fingers and toes." Adrien said and Marinette smirked at the stupid joke.

"Odd, I don't expect that type of humor from you Adrien." Marinette said.

"Who do you expect it from?" Adrien asked.

"Cat- er..." Marinette blushed a little.

"Wauling comedians." She finished.

"Who?" Adrien asked and Marinette straightened her back a little.

"Caterwauling comedians." She said unphased and Adrien smiled at her quick thinking.

"You know, speaking of comedians, um... well, really comedy as opposed to comedians." Adrien hesitated and Marinette stared at him.

"Yeah?" She asked and Adrien put his hands in his pockets.

"Um... well, um... someone recommended to me that we get together and watch a movie or two. N-not as a date, but for us to... um... spend time together." Adrien said, trying to sound confident, but he was too nervous.

"Oh? Well, what movies did you have in mind?" Marinette asked and Adrien's heart jumped.

"I, uh, I mean... it could be anything, you know. I'd hate for you to be stuck watching a movie you don't want to watch, you know. Um, but they recommended two movies that we could, maybe, possibly, watch. Matilda and Secondhand Lions." Adrien hated how nervous he was being. After all was the one who said he should watch the movies with Marinette in the first place. Yet somehow he was scared of her rejection and it felt like his heart was gonna jump out of his chest.

"Are you gonna have time for that?" Marinette asked and Adrien nodded.

"I talked to Nathalie about it already. Told her a little about us arguing and how our friendship has been... bruised... well she says that she'll make it happen. Uh, if you agree to it, that is." Adrien said. For a moment, Marinette was silent; and it was one of the scariest moments of his life.

"That sounds fun. Maybe you could come over to my house tomorrow or after school Monday." Marinette said with a smile. Adrien breathes out, dropping his shoulders as his body finally relaxed.

"Oh, good." Adrien said and Marinette giggled at him.

"Nino? Nino!" Alya said. She lowered her phone and groaned in frustration.

"Alya?" Marinette said and Alya turned to them and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I think I should go over to Nino's." Alya said and Adrien bit his lip.

"Is he ok?" Adrien asked and Alya shrugged.

"He was telling me how upset Chris was, because he couldn't watch M.A.S.H. or play shooter games, or watch scary movies. And then I hear someone say 'you're drafted' and he hung up." Alya said.

"Weird. 'You're drafted'? Are you sure that's what they said?" Marinette asked.

"Maybe I misheard them, but that's what it sounded like. I hate to ditch you guys while there's still so much work to do, and the others haven't arrived yet, but I gotta go over and see that everything is alright." Alya said and Adrien put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about us. The others will be here soon and if we need help in the meantime we can always ask Nathalie or my bodyguard to help. They didn't want to leave me until all the decorations were set up anyways." Adrien said, and Marinette smiled.

"That's right, we'll be fine. You just go check up on Nino." Marinette said.

"Are you sure you can handle that? No accidents, no disappearing acts, no 'can't say no' favors?" Alya asked and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Yep, I'm gonna do all three of those; but first be amazed at me standing on my head and spinning myself round and round and round we go." Marinette said half-sarcastically. Alya giggled, completely unaware of the subtle swooning expression Adrien couldn't help but have on his face.

"Thanks guys. I'll be back as soon as I can." Alya said and she gave them a quick hug before running off.

"So, I guess I need to get started. Where do you need me?" Marinette asked. For a moment Adrien was silent because his 'caterwauling comedian' side had way too many humorous/flirtatious responses associated with that question.

"Uh, well we have a box of tree decorations on that table, or we can put out some more tables and put cloths on them, or we can set up the DJ equipment so Nino can plug in his playlist or jump on when he wants to." Adrien suggested.

"You're doing the streamers, so I can do the decorations in the tree while you do that. Then together we can do that other stuff." Marinette said and Adrien smiled widely. For the first time, it sincerely felt like he and Marinette really were an unstoppable team. She looked behind Adrien and her eyes widened.

"B-aah!" Marinette shouted and Adrien quickly turned around. There stood two large men; one in a hockey mask and the other in a bleached human-like mask. They were standing side by side, with their shoulders back and very tended up body language.

"Stand back!" Adrien said as he guarded Marinette, but they didn't move.

"Who are you?" Marinette asked.

"Nah, they won't answer you." Adrien said. Before she could ask 'why not', Adrien's bodyguard grabbed the both of them, dragged them to the limousine and tossed them inside. When they turned and looked out the window, the two intimidating figures still hadn't moved. Regardless, when the bodyguard and Nathalie got in the car, it started to drive away.

"Who were they?" Marinette asked aloud.

"I didn't get a good look at their faces, but we are gonna get you two, to a safe place." Nathalie said.

"It's weird. They looked like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees." Adrien said with contemplation in his voice.

"Wait, who?" Marinette asked and Adrien blinked.

"That's right, you don't like scary movies. Well, Michael Myers is the killer in Halloween, and Jason Voorhees is kinda the killer of Friday the 13th." Adrien said.

"How is he 'kinda' the killer?" Marinette said annoyed.

"Well the answer depends on if you're talking about Friday the 13th as a franchise or the first movie. Because he is the killer of the franchise, but not the first movie, but that so isn't the point." Adrien explained quickly.

"So you're telling me that for some reason there are two horror movie serial killers?" Marinette asked and Adrien nodded.

"It would seem so." Adrien said.

"Well then... why did they just stand there? Why didn't they tried to hurt us, or even more at all?" Marinette asked.

"Well, if I had to guess-"

Adrien was interrupted by 5 knives being jabbed into the roof of the car.

"I would say they weren't activated yet!" Adrien shouted as the knifes ripped apart the ceiling. When the roof was ripped off, there stood a burned man with a fedora, a red and green striped sweater, and a glove of knife fingers. As soon as Nathalie saw him, the color drained from her face.

"Heeeere's Freddy!" He shouted. He reached in, grabbed Nathalie and dangled her in the air.

"Hey baby, you look tired. I think that's because I've been chasing you in my dreams; HA!" Freddy laughed, jumping away with Nathalie.

"No!" Adrien shouted, making an attempt to grab her, but the effort was feeble.

"Helicopters!" Marinette shouted, pointing up at them.

These choppers were old, circa 1950's, and there were a lot of them. It was scary seeing these iron machines in their flight pattern, ready for action, or worse. Though the hole in the car, they saw one of the helicopters drop something; terrifyingly enough it was a bomb. Unable to stop it, Adrien threw himself over Marinette to help protect her.

Thankfully they were not killed, but the bomb did flip the car, spiraling down the street. Adrien did his best to hold onto Marinette, just in case her seatbelt wasn't enough; she held onto him too. Somehow, they stopped, and for a brief moment, they could only hear a high-pitched C note, and the beating of their own hearts. After they had a moment to catch their breaths, they were able to hear more; but they didn't like it. They heard the sound of guns firing in the distance, among other ammo.

"Oh, why is this happening?" Marinette cried and Adrien couldn't tell if one of them were shaking, or they both were.

"Someone's got to be akumatized." Adrien said as Marinette cried into his shoulder.

"But who could want this?" Marinette asked.

"I don't know." Adrien said. They remained there, listening to the frightening things around them, when they heard something unexpected.

"Hi." A friendly voice said. They looked up, through the hole and saw a man in a soldier's uniform, smiling down at them.

"Hi?" Marinette said.

"It's ok, don't worry, I'm a doctor. That gorilla up there is gonna need some medical assistance, so the three of you have just earned a one way ticket to the 4077 mash unit." The man said. After he said this, the driver seat door opened up and other soldiers carefully removed Adrien's bodyguard from his seat down to a gurney.

"Who are you?" Adrien asked.

"Well, I happen to be Benjamin Franklin Pierce; AKA Hawkeye. My Commanding Officer calls me Pierce, my dad calls me Benjamin, my friends call me Hawkeye, and nurses call me tonight. Frankly I don't care what the army calls me, because they sent me here without my permission. Now let's get you out of the car." Hawkeye said. Adrien couldn't help but tighten his hold on Marinette and glared at the strange man.

"Hey, hey, take it easy; I'm not gonna hurt her. All I want to do is look you both over, give you a terrible meal, and send you on your merry little ways so that you can hopefully be happy for the rest of your lives." Hawkeye said.

Adrien listened to the man's gentle tone and sighed when he realized that he believed him. He let go of Marinette and they unbuckle themselves before Hawkeye carefully lifted them out of the car.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or M.A.S.H or any of the characters.

Note: Technically there are Mash spoilers.

Chapter 24,

Adrien and Marinette were escorted to an Army truck. For a moment they watched as Hawkeye and other military members carried wounded soldiers unto the truck and laid them down on the available beds. When the truck was full of new patients, Hawkeye and two other medical soldiers climbed into the truck and it bustled on it's way.

"You know you're lucky I found you when I did. I came up to the front because they needed an extra hand stabilizing wounded. I was about to head back to the 4077th when I saw your car doing cartwheels. Heh, maybe that's where the word 'cartwheel' comes from." Hawkeye said with a smile, but the two children just held each other.

"Ok, listen, when we get back to camp, I'm gonna be pretty busy with my friends taking care of these groupies; I mean they can't get enough of us. But don't you worry, I'm gonna entrust you to this really run man, sometimes woman, named Klinger. You might think he's a little strange when he wears his gown with the plunging neckline, but he looks absolutely stunning when he wears this light blue evening gown." Hawkeye said and Marinette perked up at this comment.

"Really?" Marinette asked and Hawkeye nodded.

"Yeah, he wears dresses all the time, once he even dressed up as the Statue of Liberty with a fun little light show. Do you like fashion?" Hawkeye asked and Marinette smiled a little.

"I want to be a world famous fashion designer." Marinette said and Hawkeye smiled.

"Well, I think you and Klinger will get along just fine. Maybe you can even see a dress together." Hawkeye said and then he looked over at Adrien.

"She's nice, maybe you should keep her." Hawkeye said, and their eyes widened. Embarrassed, they let go of each other and looked away.

"Well, w-we aren't a couple." Adrien said, and Hawkeye glanced at the both of them.

"Uh-huh." Hawkeye said in slight non-belief.

"Well, why don't I tell you a little bit about the camp. I already told you about Klinger, but what I didn't tell you is that Klinger is our company clerk. It use to be this lovely kid we called Radar. However Radar had to go home because his uncle Ed died and he needed to help his mom take care of the family farm. Now the man in charge, Colonel Potter, is nice for regular army. Oh, 'regular army' means he actually enlisted instead of getting himself drafted like the rest of us. This here is his 3rd or 4th war, so he has a good head on his shoulders. He actually replaced, our old commanding officer, Henry Blake, may he Rest In Peace." Hawkeye said, looking down for a moment.

"What happened to him?" Marinette asked.

"Well... Henry was a draftee, like most of us. In this here army you earn points for every day/month/year, and extra points for different awards or promotions you receive. He earned enough points to get discharged and we all said goodbye to him. But on his way home, his helicopter got shot down... no survivors." Hawkeye said sadly and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

"My condolences." Adrien said and Hawkeye nodded slowly.

"At least Trapper made it home. I may not have been able to say goodbye to him, but at least I know that he's alive and safe. He was my old bunk mate. BJ replaced him, and he's a wonderful guy. Kind and extremely loyal to his wife and he has a daughter at home he's never met. He's 20x better then that ferret-faced weasel, Frank Burns. He was a wuss, an incompetent doctor, a hypocrite, a fake, but he must have been an incredible lover. No matter how many times he tried to cheat and get a Purple Heart, or told his wife how ugly Margaret was, Hot Lips kept forgiving him; I mean why?" Hawkeye said, forgetting that he was talking to fourteen-year-olds. When he did remember, he chuckled nervously and he cleared his throat.

"Margaret is the head nurse. She's tough, expects the best out of her nurses because she expects the best out of herself. Some people thinks that she is too tough, and she can be, but secretly she is a very warm and loving person, and loves children too. I won't ask her to care for you, but she'll probably want to do something nice for you; just to warn you." Hawkeye said and Marinette smiled at him.

"She sounds nice." Marinette said.

"She is nice, she's just temperamental on account of her short fuse." Hawkeye said, and then he paused a moment.

"Let's see, Klinger, Potter, BJ, Hot Lips, who else? Ah, the spoiled little rich boy, Charles Emerson Winchester the third. He replaced Frank." Hawkeye said that in a stereotypical high class accent, making Marinette giggle.

"I like Charles more than Frank, though. His main problem is that he was sent here. He won up a debt with his superior and he was sent here basically to avoid being paid a debt. He's not as gung-ho about going home like section 8 Klinger, but he is rather determined to return to Tokyo. But if you like things that are a bit more proper, like classical records, or poetry, or rich people food, and insulting those beneath you, Charles is your best friend." Hawkeye said.

"I'm glad you're not like Adrien." Marinette said and Hawkeye blinked.

"Oh, I guess you'll hate our mess tent more then usual. If you're like Charles, you'll view it as a cesspool of dysfunctional flavors determined to murder the healthy tastebuds or everyone in camp, as if it were a kamikaze mission." Hawkeye said and Adrien smirked.

"Well, you did say that you wanted to feed us a terrible meal." Adrien said and Hawkeye smiled.

"I knew there was a grin hiding out in there." Hawkeye said and the children laughed.

"Get ready Hawkeye." The driver said.

"Ah, if you excuse me, I have a previous engagement to get prepped and ready for." Hawkeye said, straightening his back.

"Attention, Attention personnel. Incoming wounded on the compound." A man on the speaker said, and the vehicle stopped soon after. The doors opened up and Hawkeye fell into his professional arena.

"I'll take this one, get him prepped and started with 3 units of whole blood; Margaret I want you by my side." Pierce said when he saw her.

"Yes, Doctor." She said and she went directly inside.

"Father Mulcahy, it looks pretty bad out there, you may need to help with anesthesia or a nurse's aid; you think you can handle that?" Hawkeye asked a kind looking gentleman wearing a black shirt that accentuates his arms and his crucifix necklace.

"I'm happy to help wherever the Lord calls me to help." Father Mulcahy said happily.

"Aw, geez Pierce, why do you always put commies and Gooks ahead or our good old soldier boys? That's against army regulation." Frank Burns said as he passed Hawkeye, who groaned.

"Oh, up your nose with a rubber hose, Frank!" Hawkeye said, and then he stopped dead in his tracks. Was he seeing things?

"You can't say that to me, I'm a superior officer." Frank said and Hawkeye turned around.

"All that means is that you're a superior idiot Frank." Trapper said and Hawkeye simply couldn't believe his eyes.

"That's not very nice!" Frank shouted.

"Better calm down Frank. If your blood pressure gets too high, people will think you're a red panda instead of a ferret." BJ said and Frank huffed.

"Oh, you guys! Colonel, do you hear the things they call me?" Frank complained.

"Well, at least a red panda is cute." Hawkeye heard, but he couldn't believe it. There, standing beside him, was Henry Blake; in his fishing hat, and that warm smile on his face. Hawkeye's eyes watered when he saw him.

"Horse Malarkey! This is a mash unit, and that stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital! Not Many Army Surgeons Having a conversation! Get a move on!" Colonel Potter said and most fell into position.

"Hawkeye, I've alerted Klinger to watch those kids in the truck while you're in surgery. He'll be here in a minute." Hawkeye turned and he saw Radar standing beside him.

"Uh... thank you." Hawkeye said slowly and Radar blinked at him.

"Geez, Hawkeye, you look like you've just seen a ghost." Radar said and Hawkeye nodded.

"I have." Hawkeye said, and he turned and entered the hospital and he saw Margaret and Father Mulcahy at the sink scrubbing up. Margaret turned and saw Hawkeye and she grew concerned.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Margaret asked as Hawkeye changed slowly.

"I don't know. Let me ask you both something before I do any surgery." Hawkeye said.

"What is it my son?" Mulcahy asked.

"We're listening." Margaret stated.

"Ok, where is Frank Burns?" Hawkeye asked and Margaret blinked, confused.

"A Veterans hospital in Indiana." Margaret said and Father Mulcahy hesitated.

"Excuse me, Major Houlihan, but Frank Burns should be outside assessing the wounded with Major Winchester." Father said.

"What? Frank's back? That Dirty Skunk! I should have smelt him the second he stepped foot in the 4077th!" Margaret shouted and Hawkeye held her hand.

"Simmer down, Hot Lips." Hawkeye said and Margaret glared at him.

"How many times have an asked you not to call me that?" Margaret asked, but when she saw Pierce's pleading eyes, she sighed softly.

"What else?" She asked.

"What happened to Trapper and Radar?" Hawkeye asked and Margaret rolled her eyes.

"They were discharged." She said.

"Excuse me again for correcting you once more, but if they were discharged, I haven't heard of it. They should be outside as well." Father Mulcahy said and Margaret paused as she started to realize what Hawkeye was feeling.

"And Henry Blake?" Hawkeye asked, and Margaret put her hand over her mouth.

"Once again, outside. Are you sure you two are feeling alright enough to perform surgery?" Mulcahy asked and Hawkeye nodded.

"You go ahead father, I want to talk to Houlihan for a moment." Hawkeye said and the father left promptly.

"Pierce, what's going on?" Margaret asked and Hawkeye shrugged.

"I don't know, I really don't know. But you and I seem to be the only ones who are seeing doubles. And I haven't had a drink since noon." Hawkeye said and she went over to the door and looked out the window.

"My god, they're all out there. Trapper, Burns, Radar and Henry. Why are we the only ones who know they don't belong here?" Margaret asked aloud and Hawkeye sighed.

"Since I said 'I don't know' ten seconds ago, it makes sense to think I know now." Hawkeye said and she rolled her eyes.

"Ok, Mr. Funnyman. How are we suppose to handle ourselves in the operating room, acting like everything is fine?" Houlihan asked and Hawkeye looked at her.

"Margaret, you are the toughest individual I have ever met. You've assisted me on the front, you work through shellings, bombs, and gun fire, and all inside buildings that are seconds away from falling apart. You're scared of loud noises, yet you constantly run to your greatest fear, in order to be the best nurse you can be and help a patient that needs your help. I've seen you do all that and I know you'll survive this. Just think of it as some extra assistance, if you have to, but we have a job to do now. We can deal with the other randomness later." Hawkeye said and he dried his hands throughly and then turned to Margaret again.

"Are you ready nurse?" Hawkeye asked and she nodded.

"Yes, Doctor." She said professionally, and then they went to work.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 25,

Klinger escorted the kids to the mess tent and Marinette stared through the clear fabric and watched the doctors and nurses take care of the seemingly endless ocean of wounded soldiers fighting for their attention.

"You know, I remember when I first got stationed here, and the sight of all that blood and suffering broke my heart." Klinger said, standing beside Marinette and he sipped his coffee.

"For me, it was a constant reminder that I was in a war zone and I could die at any moment. But you want to know what made me feel a bit better about it?" Klinger said and Marinette turned to look at him.

"What's that?" She asked and Klinger smiled.

"The doctors. Potter, Hunnicutt, and especially Pierce. I'll tell you what, if every doctor had Hawkeye's passion to keep people alive, there'd be a lot less sick people in the world. But then, if we keep having wars like this here 'police action', doctors will never have the time to research new medical practices and medicine." Klinger said and Marinette sighed.

"That makes me feel better." Marinette said and Klinger chuckled awkwardly.

"Sorry, I'm typically better with younger kids. Like the kids at the orphanage down the street. Granted most of them can't understand a word I say when I sing to them, or read them stories, or just talk to them in general; but I say some things don't need a translator." Klinger said and Marinette actually smiled at this.

"You know, I actually went to the orphanage yesterday. I gave them a bunch of... um, donations I thought they would like." Marinette said and Adrien perked up to this.

"Did you go alone?" Adrien asked and Marinette hesitated. What could she say?

"Well, not exactly. Cat Noir saw me, for some reason, and decided to help me out." Marinette said and Klinger smiled at her.

"And is Cat Noir friend, lover, or foe?" Klinger asked and Marinette got bashful.

"He's just your friendly neighborhood superhero." Marinette said and Klinger blinked.

"Superhero? You guys got superheroes?" Klinger asked and Adrien nodded.

"Yep, Cat Noir and, of course, the ever lovely Ladybug." Adrien said and Klinger smirked.

"Sounds like your a bit of a fanboy, kid. I bet you think Ladybug is the bees knees." Klinger said and Adrien's eyes widened.

"Um... well... she's..." Adrien hesitated, and he glanced at Marinette who giggled at him.

"Relax, Adrien. Klinger isn't asking if you are head over heels in love with Ladybug. He's merely asking if you appreciate her and find her pretty." Marinette said and Adrien hopes he wasn't blushing.

"Oh, right." Adrien said and for a moment, Marinette wondered if the girl Adrien was in love with, actually was Ladybug.

However, that was ridiculous. He doesn't know Ladybug enough to really fall in love with her. If he really did love her, it's only because she's saved him a couple of times.

"Well, don't sit there on your thumbs, I have always wanted to meet real Superheroes. The closest I've ever gotten is Hawkeye, which is a huge compliment, but it's not the same. Tell me all about them." Klinger said. Adrien and Marinette looked at each other to decide who should start.

"Well, Ladybug is really smart and creative and tough as nails." Adrien said and this was flattering, but Marinette bit her lip in concern.

"But she can also be stubborn and pigheaded when it comes to people she doesn't necessarily like. She would really be nothing without Cat Noir." Marinette said and Adrien paused.

"Well, Cat Noir can't do much goo without Ladybug. What's the point of having the power of destruction if he doesn't have Ladybug to fix everything up?" Adrien said and Marinette blinked.

"Perhaps, but you don't understand. You don't know what goes through Ladybug's mind when she's fighting. I, uh... I imagine that Cat Noir helps calm her down, and to believe in herself and he teaches her how to be more opened and accepting towards others. Sure his power might be destruction, but he is so warm and loving that Ladybug needs him more then she needs her own powers. Without him... Hawkmoth would have defeated her a long time ago." Marinette said wholeheartedly. Adrien was too stunned to speak, but Klinger whistled.

"Man, they sound like an unstoppable team. Who knows, maybe I'll get the chance to meet them. Any chance they'll be flying through these parts soon?" Klinger asked and then a nurse ran into the mess tent.

"Klinger, we need more help in pre-op." She said and Klinger sighed.

"Well, I hate to leave now, but the golden rule of comedy is 'always leave them wanting more'. I'll be back as soon as I can, but if you need anything, except good food, Igor is the one in the apron serving the powdered eggs." Klinger said and he swiftly left for the hospital. Marinette took a deep breath and she smiled at Adrien.

"Actually, I think I'll check out the camp a bit. You know, get a better sense of our surroundings." Marinette said, standing up.

"Alright, I'll be here, I guess." Adrien said with a smile and then she left. Adrien waited a few seconds and then he left the mess tent too.

Marinette quickly found a secluded spot and she then transformed into Ladybug. She emerged from her hiding spot and then she pulled out her yo-yo and she swung it up to a high wooden post and launched herself up into the air, and slowed down her falling by swinging the yo-yo above her head. She was hoping that a higher view would give her a sense of which direction the akumatized individual might be.

But all she saw was war, in every fathomable direction. She couldn't tell who was her allies and who she was suppose to fight. She saw a lot of smoke, a lot of machines/artillery, and soldiers running around. With a slight sigh of defeat, she lowered herself gently back down to the 4077th MASH.

"Any good news, milady?" Cat Noir asked, surprising Ladybug a little too much; which made her mad.

"Do you have to sneak up on me, Cat-" She looked at him and her voice faltered when she looked into his gorgeous eyes.

"Uh... um... thanks for keeping me on my toes Cat Noir." She said, bashfully rubbing the back of her neck. Cat Nour blinked at this reaction.

"Um... well, what do you suggest we do?" Cat Noir asked and Ladybug took a deep breath.

"This battle is too large for us to win a bunch of tiny battles. Somehow we need to find the source of all this, and put a stop to them." Ladybug said and Cat Noir looked around.

"It's a little hard to find a source here. We seem to be in the middle of a bloodbath. Maybe we should talk to those doctors when they are done in surgery. They probably have a better understanding of this atmosphere then we do." Cat Noir said and Ladybug hesitated.

"I don't know, Cat Noir. They'll be in surgery for many hours. It would probably be faster to try and logically pick a direction that the akuma might be, and fight the real villain. Then the doctors wouldn't have anyone to patch up." Ladybug said and Cat Noir hesitated.

"Well, that's only faster if you're right on the first try. If we pick the wrong direction, it might take us twice as long just to return to this staring point, much less trying to canvas the rest of this literal battleground. With all of the explosions, guns, and smoke, it's three times harder to find our way around. And I think we know Paris better then any other Parisian out there." Cat Noir said and Ladybug sighed.

"How about a compromise. If we go in one direction, and it turns out to be a wild goose chase, we will return here and wait to talk to the doctors about this, and let them help us." Ladybug said. Cat Noir couldn't help but feel uneasy about that idea, but Ladybug's face said it all. She wanted to do her best to stop any more people from getting hurt. Knowing this, Cat Noir sighed.

"Ok, what direction should we go?" Cat Noir said and Ladybug contemplated a moment.

"Let's see. This is a MASH unit from the 50's. There were MASH units used in the Korean War, right? So that war was between North Korea and South Korea. So... if we are surrounded by army members from the 50's, that must mean that this side is fighting the North. Perhaps if we head north, we'll find the Akuma." Ladybug said, and Cat Noir pulled out his baton and winked at her.

"Well then, north is that way, milady." Cat Noir said and Ladybug looked away from his loving gaze.

"Then... what are you waiting for, slow poke?" Ladybug said, swinging her yo-yo in the correct direction. Cat Noir chuckled and quickly followed her.

"So how did you know this MASH unit is from the 50's?" Cat Noir asked as they rushed northbound.

"I have a family member who is really into tradition. He taught me about classic military vehicles, and that's what these people are using." Ladybug said.

"Well, that's certainly helpful." Cat Noir said.

"You know, before I saw some horror movie icons running around. What do you think that's all about?" Cat Noir asked.

"I don't know." She admitted, with a shrug.

"I mean, you have horror movie icons, and all of these soldiers running around, but there doesn't seem to be a real objective to anything." Ladybug said and Cat Noir blinked.

"What do you mean?" Cat Noir asked.

"Well, where's the guy giving orders, and what are those orders? Is it someone who is trying to get a item that was robbed from them? Were they treated poorly and want revenge? Were they trying to prove they can do something? Are they standing up for someone else they care about? I don't see any of that. All I see is a bunch of pointless fighting, and no reason for it." Ladybug said.

But then, she felt a blinding pain in the back of her leg, and a half-second later, she heard the sound of a gunshot; and when she went down to the ground, she stayed down.

"Milady!" Cat Noir said, quickly turning around and running towards her. When he got close, he glanced up just long enough to see the barrel of a gun before he got shot in the shoulder. Which knocked him into his back. With a groan, he sat up, prepared to fight, but he saw a group of 5 soldiers pointing their guns at Ladybug. There was nothing he could do. Even if he tried to use his powers, they would shoot Ladybug before he finished saying 'cataclysm'.

"Il-eona!" One of the soldier's stood in front of Cat Noir and shouted. Cat Noir understood enough Korean to know this meant, 'Stand Up!', so he did.

"Il-eona!" A different soldier shouted at Ladybug and she tried to stand, but the pressure was too much and she fell back down. Wanting to help her, Cat Noir took a few steps closer to her.

"Mulleoseo!" The first soldier shouted at him and Cat Noir glared at him.

"If you won't help her, then I will. She can barely walk, man! So Either Move Out Of My Way Or Kill Me!" Cat Noir shouted and Ladybug gasped.

"Are You Crazy?!?" Ladybug shouted, but Cat Noir simply glared at the soldier before him. The soldier held his gun securely before glancing back at Ladybug. With a look of uncertainty, he nodded and stepped to the side.

"Geunyeoleul dowajuseyo." The soldier consented and Cat Noir didn't need to be told twice. He picked her up bridal-style, which hurt his shoulder, but he didn't want to risk her leg getting worse.

Together they were escorted to a nearby North Korean camp. They approached a barn-esq. building, and when they entered it, there were lots of metal torture devices and dried blood scattered around them. Before Cat Noir had a chance to think of a plan, or even fight back, they were sat down into two wooden chairs and tied together. A superior soldier walked up to Ladybug.

"Meosjin gwigeol-i. anaega seonmul-eul wonhal geos gat-ayo." He sajd right before reaching over and removing Ladybug's earrings.

"Wait! No!" She cried out, but it was too late. She reverted back to powerless old Marinette.

"Wa! Mabeob-ui gwigeol-i! Nae anaeneun ij-eo beoligo amsijang-eseo mueos-eul eod-eul su issneunji boja." He said with a greedy smile on his face.

"Beon-yeogganeun eodi issseubnikka?" He asked his unit.

"Geuneun Rgwa Re gassda" Another soldier answered him. Marinette stared at her beloved Miraculous, and she wanted to scream, but she suddenly felt so useless.

"Eo! Yeogiseo dahaeyahanayo? Chinguege oneun chinguga eobsneunji hwag-inhago najung-e geudeul-i aneun geos-eul hwag-inhagi wihae dol-aol geos-ibnida." Their superior said and the soldiers all left the barn, leaving Marinette free to panic.

"Oh My God!" She shouted and she started hyperventilating.

"Calm down, milady." Cat Noir said.

"I can't and I won't! Do you know what they did?!?" She shouted.

"I know, but-"

"They took off my earrings! I-I-I-I-I've never lost them before!" She shouted.

"We can get them back." Cat Noir said.

"You can, maybe. But I'm here, powerless!" She said, panting up a storm.

"Milady, relax-"

"This is it! This one mission we fail!"

"Mil-"

"We will have to get a new Ladybug, I can't wait go one doing the job, now that this has happened!"

"M-"

"But what if no one believes the new Ladybug, and then she decides to use her powers for evil, and joins up with Hawk Moth, and all of Pros will crumble, and it will be all my fault, and-"

"MARINETTE!!! Calm Down!" Cat Noir shouted, and for a moment, Marinette was as still as a statue and silent as a tomb. She turned her head closer to Cat Noir.

"W-What did you say?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir let out a deep sigh.

"I... I told you to calm down... Marinette." Cat Noir said, and she couldn't believe her ears.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Personal note: I don't know why I keep inserting different languages into my stories, but oh well.

Chapter 26,

"H... how long have you known?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir's shoulder's slumped.

"Ever since Tikki found me and told me that I needed to use the Ladybug Miraculous." Cat Noir admitted and Marinette shook her head.

"I guess it really would have been too much for them to actually tell you I was sick." Marinette said and Cat Noir bit his lip.

"Well, you were sick with Akuma fever." Cat Noir suggested. Marinette blinked at his words and then scoffed with a smile.

"Now that's exactly what I expect from a caterwauling comedian." Marinette said softly and Cat Noir smiled softly at her.

"So, how's your leg, Milady bluebell?" Cat Noir said and they both blushed at his words.

"I-I, um... it hurts." She admitted.

"We need to get you back to those doctors. They can easily care for your leg." Cat Noir said.

"And your shoulder." Marinette said and Cat Noir was silent a moment.

"Right." Cat Noir said. His mind was so focused on the fact that she got shot, that he almost forgot the paint he was feeling.

"I can't believe the way you stood up for me." Marinette said.

"Of course. You know, what was I suppose to do? Let them shoot you again, because you can't walk?" Cat Noir said and Marinette took a breath.

"Still... I just find myself so in awe of how much you believe in me. I can't believe that you're willing to die for me. I..." she hesitated and then she lowered her gaze.

"I don't deserve your blind faith, Cat Noir." Marinette said and Cat Noir shifted until he managed to lean his head back onto her shoulder.

"I have faith in you, Milady. In Ladybug and Marinette. I'm not blind about it... if anything, my eyes have been opened to how wonderful you really are." Cat Noir said and Marinette hesitantly glanced at him in his awkward position.

"So you're not disappointed that... I'm Ladybug?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir smiled softly.

"Nope." Cat Noir said. He picked up his head; partly to give his neck a break, and partly to look away from Marinette.

"I was a little surprised. Especially since... I told you that I, um... that I was in love with Ladybug." Cat Noir said slowly, and Marinette tensed a bit.

"Yeah..." She said softly.

"But in the same token, I'm glad that it is you." Cat Noir said.

"You mean it?" Marinette asked and he nodded.

"Yeah. As Ladybug, you are so smart and confident and you'll do anything to save Paris. And then, as Marinette, you're so creative, and loving and you'll do whatever you can to support your friends and connect them to other people." Cat Noir said and Marinette smiled.

"Ok... ok, we better get out of here before those guys come back." Marinette said.

"Or before they try to sell your earrings on the black market." Cat Noir said.

"Wait, do you speak Korean?" Marinette asked and Cat Noir moved his head back and forth.

"Not much; I couldn't hold a conversation with it." Cat Noir said.

"Oh, Cat Noir, I could kiss you." Marinette said happily and he leaned his head back onto her shoulder and puckered his lips.

It was ridiculous to try and kiss her now, because even if she had the physical capability to reach his lips, this certainly wasn't the time. Still, this display was so adorable that Marinette couldn't help but be charmed by it. She went ahead and leaned forward and gave Cat Noir's forehead a tiny kiss. Which, upon this act, caused Cat Noir's eye to open widely and his whole face turned red.

"What did they say?" Marinette asked sweetly and Cat Noir was still frozen. He got so use to Ladybug pushing him away, or shifting his head to the side... he didn't actually expect any sort of reciprocation.

"Caaaaaaaaaat." Marinette said in a singsong tone, and Cat Noir shook his head and sat up correctly.

"Um, they talked about some translator, but he's not here. They talked about, um... that one soldier took your earrings to give to his wife, but since they were, um... magic, he was gonna sell them on the black market and see what he can get." Cat Noir said and Marinette nodded.

"Ok, let's see. Can you use your cataclysm on the rope?" Marinette asked and he hesitated

"Um, considering where my hand is, I'd rather not risk it." Cat Noir said and she thought.

"Tikki." Marinette said and Cat Noir's eyes widened as he realized her idea.

"Brilliant." He said with a smile. Marinette looked down at her purse and she blinked.

"Come on, Tikki." Marinette urged, but then she realized why her kwami wasn't coming.

"Oh, no. She disappeared when they removed my earrings." Marinette said with a groan.

"That can happen?" Cat Noir asked and she nodded.

"Yeah. I know because after our first battle, I removed my earrings even though Tikki didn't want me to. She disappeared when so did that, because..." Marinette hesitated.

"Because you were giving up?" Cat Noir asked and she nodded.

"I... well... anyways, it makes sense for Tikki to disappear when they removed the earrings." Marinette said and she looked around. Then suddenly she realized what they could do and she rolled her eyes.

"We are being ridiculous. This is simple rope. You can cut the rope with your claws." Marinette said and Cat Noir bit his lip.

He shifted, which stung his shoulder and he awkwardly ran a claws against the rope. It took about three strokes with his claw before one of the strand broke. Marinette did her best to loosen and remove the rope as Cat Noir cut it; and soon, they were free. They stood up and Marinette buckled in pain, and Cat Noir caught her.

"Easy." Cat Noir said and Marinette groaned.

"We need to find something to soak up the blood as we find my miraculous and make our way back to the M.A.S.H 4077th." Marinette said as she sat back down on the chair.

"Not just for our heath, but blood trails can be followed." Marinette said and Cat Noir looked around them.

"We can't use anything hereS they only cloths here are filthy and already covered in blood." Cat Noir said. Marinette put a hand on her face as she thought about this, but then she gasped happily.

"Not the only things." Marinette said, and he turned to her. She took off her grey gloves, ripped them in half and formed a mock-bandage around her own leg.

"Come here." Marinette said and Cat Noir knelt down for her. Marinette removed her jacket, folded it and wrapped that around Cat Noir's shoulder. She tied it off, but to help keep it in place, she reached up, removed her hair ties, and wrapped them around the bandage. Cat Noir stared at her, in slight disbelief. This was like giving him the shirt off her back, and she didn't even hesitate to do so.

"Ok, I'm gonna need to lean on you a bit while we locate my miraculous." Marinette said.

"No problem, bluebell." Cat Noir said as he helped her to her feet. She leaned against Cat Noir's undamaged shoulder and they moved to the door. Slowly, Marinette cracked the door opened to see if there was a guard outside the building; there wasn't. They slipped out of the barn and off to the side, where they were out of sight.

"Ok, if you were gonna sell something valuable, where would you put it, to keep it away from people who would steal it?" Marinette asked.

"On a military base? Perhaps the office, or maybe even a storage shed." Cat Noir said.

"Makes sense... although..." she hesitated and Cat Noir rose an eyebrow at her.

"Something wrong?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette bit her lip.

"Well... I was just thinking... Miraculous' are hard to come by because they are under the constant protection. Either under the care of guardians, or under the care and use of miraculous users like us." Marinette said and Cat Noir nodded.

"So maybe, even though these soldiers see this as 'magic earrings' instead of a miraculous-"

"They would keep it on their person to protect it instead of putting it in a safe." Cat Noir finished and Marinette smiled at him and nodded.

"If I'm correct, that superior soldier put the earrings in his jacket pocket, so all we would need to do is pick his pockets." Marinette said and Cat Noir let out a breath and ruffled his own hair.

"I feel a bit uneasy picking the pocket of a stranger; and this one has a trigger finger." Cat Noir said and Marinette nodded heavily.

"I know what you mean." She said and Cat Noir looked up at a fading cloud in the sky. How could that sea of pale blue and fluff, be so happy when there was so much blood being spilled all over Paris?

"Ok, so how are we suppose to get the jacket off him?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette sighed.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I mean, we could turn up the heat in his office, but he might leave the the room instead of take off his jacket." Marinette said.

"I guess we can't really pour a bucket of water on him. He might remove his clothes to dry or wash them, but then he'll see us and chase us down." Cat Noir said and Marinette's eyes widened.

"Actually... getting him a little dirty might just be perfect." Marinette said with a sly look on her face. Cat Noir smiled back.

-

Colonel Jin Hyo Sung was sitting in his office, looking at the earrings he had collected from the little girl earlier. He occasionally poked them to see how he could activate them. He was only seconds away from stabbing his own ears when he hears some sort of commotion outside.

"Je suis le plus grand super-héros qui ait jamais vécu." He heard someone say and then he heard running.

"Colonel Sung! The male prisoner has escaped!" He heard and he stood up, shoving the earrings back in his pocket and rushing towards the door.

"Allez, les gars, pourquoi si silencieux? C’est comme si nous avions une sorte de problème de communication." He saw the giant cat running straight towards him.

"Get him!" Colonel Sung shouted.

"J'espère que vous avez ces boucles d'oreilles sur vous!" The cat shouted when he pushed Colonel Sung off to the side and he landed at the foot of his door. Colonel Sung saw his soldier running after the cat.

"If you don't get him, I'll put you all in front of a firing squad!" Colonel Sung screamed, and they hightailed it.

Unfortunately for the Colonel, his soldiers didn't see the large mud puddle in front of him, and when they ran past him, they splashed unforeseen amounts of mud all over him. The Colonel sighed and he stood up. Traditionally, being in charge meant that he didn't have to get down and dirty. He walked back to his tent, emptied out his pockets and placed the various products on his shelf and he heard something unexpected.

"À tout moment, Milady!" That was the voice of that cat man. Was that idiot circling the camp? Wait, where's the girl? The Colonel turned back to his shelf and he gasped when he saw the magic earrings missing.

"Stop them!" The Colonel shouted, running out of his tent in time to see the girl with some silver walking stick, smiling at him.

"Punaise en dehors!" She said cutely. At that moment, the cat man ran up to her, grabbed her and the silver stick, and used the stick to launch them away.

The Colonel was now enraged, and he rushed after them. At least until they got to the bridge. The cat man said something and suddenly the bridge turned to dust and disappeared. The Colonel didn't know what to think about this. He's never seen anything like it.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters. Or the Mash characters.

Chapter 27,

Hawkeye and Margaret were taking a small breather outside, when Cat Noir and Marinette dropped from the sky. They rushed over to the young ones, and started examining their wounds.

"We better get you guys prepped." Margaret said and Marinette gasped when she heard Cat Noir's ring beep.

"He's about to change back. He can't get treated in there." Marinette said and Hawkeye blinked.

"Change back? Well, I guess that explains the hero getup." Hawkeye said.

"Please. A hero's secret identity is the most valuable thing we own." Marinette said and Margaret sighed.

"Great. I suppose that means you're a hero, and would like to be treated privately as well." Margaret asked and Marinette nodded.

"Yes ma'am." Marinette said and Margaret sighed.

"Can you be together?" Margaret asked and Cat Noir looked away.

"No." He said sadly and Hawkeye nodded.

"Alright, fine. Though for the record, I object to not doing this in the operating room." Hawkeye said.

"And where do you plan to operate?" Margaret asked.

"Well, your tent is pretty close, so he can carry Marinette to your tent. Then I'll escort him to my place and we'll take care of them real fast, while everyone else is in surgery." Hawkeye said and Margaret glared at him.

"How dare you offer up my tent without-"

"Margaret, I've read enough comic books to understand when a hero is about to be an average Joe, and he's on a ticking time clock." Hawkeye said and Margaret sighed.

"Fine. I'll get some surgical equipment and tell Colonel Potter that we are working on some sensitive cases." Margaret said and Hawkeye blinked.

"Well, he's gonna want a better explanation then that." Hawkeye said and she smiled.

"I know that. I'm just gonna let you deal with him." Margaret said and she disappeared into the hospital.

"Great. We better get you to Margaret's before Potter comes out to investigate." Hawkeye said and he led them to a tent with the words 'Major M Houlihan' on the door. Cat Noir set Marinette down on the cot and they smiled at each other.

"Thank you for carrying me, Cat Noir." Marinette said.

"Thanks for giving me your jacket. I hope it's not ruined." Cat Noir said. Marinette smiled lovingly at him, lifted her hand up to his face and gently caressed his cheek.

"It probably is, but that's ok. I'd rather have a ruined jacket then have you ruined, Cat Noir." Marinette said and Cat Noir chuckled bashfully. Cat Noir stood up and blushed when he saw the smile on Hawkeye's face.

"I'll show him to my tent and then I'll come back and work on your leg. Margaret should be here any minute, so why don't you just relax while she gets you settled." Hawkeye said and Marinette nodded.

After that, Hawkeye and Cat Noir left Margaret's tent. Pierce escorted Cat Noir to a large tent labeled 'Swamp' on the door, and they went inside.

"So, I thought your name was Adrien, what's with this 'Cat Noir' business?" Hawkeye asked and Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"You can tell?" Cat Noir asked and Hawkeye laughed softly.

"Let me guess; that's not how it works in your world. Basically every day you are Adrien and this Cat Noir persona, fighting different villains with all sorts of powers; BUT none of them can compare to you, right?" Hawkeye asked and Cat Noir rubbed his arm.

"Well, kinda." Cat Noir admitted.

"Man, I knew something was up, I just knew it. I mean, how else do you explain the universe bringing back old friends, including a dead one?" Hawkeye said outloud.

"How is that possible, kid? How did that happen? What's going on around here?" Hawkeye asked.

In that moment, the Cat Noir ring powered down, transforming Cat Noir to Adrien and causing Plagg to pop into the air. Instinctively, Hawkeye reached out and caught the foreign object, and then stared at the kwami when he realized it was alive.

"Oooooooohhh, I'm hungry." Plagg whined, splayed our across Hawkeye's hands, without even opening his eyes.

"Um... uh... what does it eat?" Hawkeye asked nervously. Plagg tensed up when he heard the doctor speak, and his eyes opened wide.

"Wait a minute... I know that voice... is it-?"

Plagg lifted his head and he gasped when he saw Hawkeye's face.

"Oh, My, Gosh! It's Alan Alda!" Plagg said happily. He turned to Adrien and pointed at Hawkeye excitedly.

"Dude! It's Alan Alda!" I can't believe I'm being held by Alan Alda!" Plagg said. Adrien knew if Plagg was charged enough to fly, he'd be flying in circles right now.

"Oh, God, Mr. Alda, you are one of my favorite actors! I just loved you in Betsy's Wedding, so fun. 'I was nervous before when they were shooting at us, but I'm alright now', 'The day after they get married, we'll put her face on a milk carton', 'no, no, when I say fantastic and wonderful, I mean cheap and ugly'." Plagg quotes like a true fan and then he finally noticed the world around him.

"Oh wow! Oh wow! This looks like The Swamp! Is that...? It is! The still! Wow! We are at the 4077th?!?" I can't believe it, Mr. Alda, this is a dream come true." Plagg said and Hawkeye swallowed.

"Why... why do you keep calling me that?" Hawkeye asked and Plagg finally started to calm down.

"Wait, that's right... you're suppose to be in your 80's..." Plagg said slowly and Hawkeye looked up at Adrien.

"Do I look 80ish to you?" Hawkeye said.

Adrien came over and picked Plagg up out of his hands and held the kwami close.

"I'm sorry, I've never seen Plagg that excited before." Adrien said and Plagg shrugged.

"It's still an honor to meet you, Dr. Pierce." Plagg said, extending an arm out to him and Hawkeye did his best to shake the hand without crushing it.

"Does this explain my friends?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien hesitated.

"Well, only part of it." Adrien said.

"Wait, which friends? Is that Frank's bunk or Winchester's?" Plagg asked and Hawkeye turned towards the cot.

"Both, I guess. That's a picture of Frank's wife, but that's Charles' record player. Frank's bible is there, but I also see some of Charles' cognac and Red Leicester." Hawkeye said and Plagg's stomach growled.

"I normally prefer Camembert, but can I have some of that Red Leicester?" Plagg asked and Hawkeye shrugged lazily. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small pocket knife, and unceremoniously whacked off a slice of cheese for Plagg.

"Hehe, Mr. Alda gave me cheese." Plagg whispered giddily to Adrien, who chuckled at him.

"So, what is that thing, anyways? What is... Plagg?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ok, Plagg is a creature called a kwami. He is a magical creature that gives power to my miraculous." Adrien explained and Hawkeye nodded.

"Uh-huh. And a miraculous is...?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien pointed at his ring.

"For me, it's my ring. But for Marinette, er, Ladybug, her miraculous is earrings. Others have necklaces or bracelets or whatnot." Cat Noir said and Hawkeye nodded slowly.

"So what makes this ring a miraculous instead of any other ring?" Hawkeye asked and Adrien hesitated.

"Actually, Mr. Alda. The miraculous' were created centuries ago, so that kwami's, like me, can be seen and interact with the world on this plane. Without it, I'm basically a ghost. I can't be seen, I can't be heard, I can't pick anything up, or eat. Without other kwami like Tikki or Sass, life would be rather... lonely and flavorless." Plagg said and Hawkeye's widened a little and he took a breath in.

"Ok... you and Marinette wear special jewels that can be charged by this creature called a kwami, and they give you the use of super powers, so you can be superheroes, because those jewels allow the kwami's to live among us." Hawkeye said, to make sure he got that right.

"Yes, sir." Plagg and Adrien said.

"But what does that have to do with Frank, Radar, Trapper, and Henry coming back?" Hawkeye said and Plagg blinked.

"Whoa, really?" Plagg said and Pierce nodded.

"Yes, really! I mean, I can understand Frank coming back to try and win over Margaret, but Radar and Trapper got sent home... and somehow poor Henry is back from the dead. AND I can't even react to it, because everyone thinks this is normal; But Why! Margaret and I are the only ones who even realize the fact that they aren't suppose to be here! It's hard enough just to be in OR trying to save the lives of the boys that are fighting to survive a battle they never asked to fight. All that pain, I can only try to help while I get older and older and they get younger and younger- and now! I have to block out the strangers I've said goodbye to years ago, just so no one dies on my operating table." Hawkeye said and Plagg sniffled. Now that he's had some cheese, he was now charged enough to float, and he flew over and hugged Hawkeye's arm.

"It's ok, Dr. Pierce. I understand how you feel. It's not your fault an akuma was released." Plagg said. Hawkeye looked at the kwami and then up at Adrien.

"What's he talking about, 'akuma'. We didn't talk about that." Hawkeye asked as Plagg nuzzled him. There is a miraculous that is currently being used for evil. His name is Hawk Moth and he has the power to give powers to other people and make them temporary villains. When he gives others powers, he uses a moth-like creature known as an akuma." Adrien explained.

"So, you're telling that my cousins Hawk Moth is releasing akuma that made my friends and Frank come back." Hawkeye asked, Plagg looked up at him.

"Well, technically, just one. He akumatized a villain who brought your show to life. They must not be very familiar with the show if they brought all the main characters to life." Plagg said and Pierce blinked.

"Show...?" Hawkeye said slowly. Plagg gasped slowly when he realized what he just did and he pulled away from Hawkeye and back over to Adrien.

"Are you guys telling me... that I'm not real? T-that my friends and I are only alive because some creep brought all of this torture to life, just for kicks? And all the lives I've saved, all the laughs I've shared, all the tears I've shed, all of the kisses I've experienced... none of it was real?" Pierce asked and Adrien hesitated.

"I... um..." He didn't know what to say, but Hawkeye hung his head in defeat.

"Look, uh... I better go operate on your friend. Maybe we can continue this conversation when I come to fix your shoulder." Hawkeye said and he walked out of the tent.

The little kwami couldn't stand to see him so sad, though. So he rushed through the tent, and he went up to Hawkeye and Plagg hugged his face.

"You were always real to me, Hawkeye." Plagg said, sincerely. Hawkeye wipes his eyes and smiled at the kwami.

"Thank you, Plagg." Hawkeye said, giving him a small pat on the back.

"You better head back before someone sees you." Pierce said. They shared a smile and Plagg few away.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or M.A.S.H or it's characters.

Chapter 28,

Margaret came and put Marinette under, so they could work on her leg. When she woke up, she was all alone, and left with a throbbing sensation in her leg. She eased up into a sitting position. Not feeling any pain, she decided to carefully stand up.

"Ugh." She grunted and she sat back down on the bed.

She didn't know how good it was for her leg, but she knew she needed to get up and walk around; so she could find the villain and fight them. She took a deep breath, and stood up again. She looked over and she saw a trash can outside. Walking over and throwing her gloves away could be a good way to practice walking, without straining herself.

She picked up her soiled gloves, and inches her way to the trash. Other then her stiffness, and occasional shot of pain, walking was quite tolerable. She had successfully thrown away her gloves, and turned to go back to the tent, when Klinger walked over to her.

"Hey kid. Sorry that took me so long? But you know Korea is a pretty busy town and all. I still wish you and your friend would have stayed at the mess tent. I've been looking everywhere for you two." Klinger said and Marinette's heart sank.

Was Adrien really roaming the M.A.S.H all by himself? Was Adrien looking for her? If Klinger couldn't find him, that means he could get lost and seriously hurt.

"Hey, where's that jacket you were wearing earlier?" Klinger said and Marinette bit her lip. She didn't really know what to say, and as it turns out, she didn't need to.

"Excuse me, you should be getting some rest before you go strolling around." Margaret said, walking up to them with what remains of Marinette's blood soaked jacket. Klinger saw it, and instantly recognized it before Margaret threw it in the trash.

"I'm sorry Ms. Houlihan, but I really shouldn't wait around for very long." Marinette said, and Margaret crosses her arms over her chest.

"As true as that might be, we just finished operating on your friend. You both should be taking it easy, no matter what your status or rank might be." Margaret said and Marinette nodded.

"And I understand that, but the sooner we stop the villain, the sooner people stop getting wounded." Marinette said.

"You are my patient, and I want you to take it easy, if only for an hour or so." Margaret said.

"But, I-"

"No, buts-"

"Uh, ladies. If I can be so bold." Klinger gently placed himself between the two of them.

"Why don't I take Marinette to my office. Her jacket is ruined and I got some stuff for her to sit and make herself a new one. That's easy for her to do without straining her leg." Klinger said to Margaret, and then he looked at Marinette.

"And while we're there, I can maybe help you find this villain your looking for, by making a few calls to whoever I need to." Klinger said, and he smiled at the both of them.

"Sound good?" Klinger asked and Margaret took a deep breath and sighed.

"If it keeps her from actively walking for a while, then that's sounds alright to me." Margaret said and Marinette nodded.

"Yeah, and if you can really help us out, then that is at least a step in the right direction." Marinette said and Klinger smiled.

"There we go, everyone's happy. Alright, kiddo, up we go." Klinger said, and in one swift movement, he swooped up Marinette, and held her bridal-style.

"Be careful with her." Margaret complained. Klinger asked Marinette to wave goodbye to the Major, which she did. He carried Marinette to the office, where he worked and slept, and he set Marinette down on the mattress.

"I got the perfect thing for you, Marinette. We got some army uniforms here that are too small for anyone here and I'm sure it's just about your size." Klinger said. He went over to a cardboard box and pulled out a jacket and a hat. He handed them to Marinette, and she thought Klinger was so sweet, that she went ahead and put on the hat and the jacket.

"Will wonder never cease, you look terrific. Marilyn Monroe eat your heart out, because you are a looker." Klinger said and Marinette giggled at him.

"Thanks, I would probably want to change these a little, though. And maybe put my hair back in pigtails." Marinette said and Klinger turned around. He grabbed a metal box and handed it to her.

"This has some of my sewing stuff in it, and I got some hair ties in there somewhere. You can work on the jacket and hat with this stuff while I call around." Klinger said. Marinette smiled when she took the box from his hands. She pulled out two hair ties, and put her hair back. Klinger smiled eagerly and sat beside her.

"Any chance you can show me?" Klinger said and Mark rose an eyebrow at him.

"Show you what?" Marinette asked.

"Come on, don't give me that. I might be a simple boy from Toledo, but I ain't stupid. The bloody clothes, surgery, all that talk about villains, and you and your friend telling me about superheroes? You've got to be Ladybug. Can I see your powers; or at least see your costume?" Klinger asked and Marinette blushed.

"Well.. maybe I'll show my costume later. I can show you the source of my powers, though; if you have something sweet, like cookies, to munch on." Marinette said, hesitantly. She knew they would disappear when the villain was gone, so there was very little risk with him knowing.

"My mom sent me a canister of nammoura, could that work? It's more like a cake, soaked in syrup with almonds on top, but not bad if you want something sweet." Klinger said, reaching under the bed and opening it up for her. It smelled really good and she smiled.

"Those will be great." Marinette said.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her earrings. After she swiped them back from that General, she figured it was safer in her pocket, then in her hand, as they flew back to camp. She put in her earrings, and Tikki materialized.

"Wow, Marinette. That was too close for comfort." Tikki said and Marinette nodded.

"Yes, I know. I have something sweet for you, in case you needed to recharge, uh... what's it called again?" Marinette asked.

"Nammoura." Klinger finished, beaming at the little kwami.

"Wow, so this little cutie gives you powers?" Klinger asked as he handed her a square of Nammoura. Tikki took a bite and hummed pleasantly.

"A Lebanese dessert, right?" Tikki asked and Klinger nodded, impressed.

"Very good." Klinger said.

Then, just beyond the door to their right, there was a large crash and Marinette flinched.

"What's in there?" Marinette asked.

"Just some of the patients in post-op. I better go help them." Klinger said, setting down the nammoura and leaving the room. The swung opened and Marinette saw an evil looking clown in the next room. She reached over and pushed the door gently, just a crack to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

But no, there was a demented clown, screaming about floating, scaring the patients around him, and... what? There was some sort of green diamond above his head. It remained there until the nurses successfully sedated the clown and the diamond froze in place, as if to look for someone new.

After a moment, it went over the head of one of the doctors, who tensed and slowly looked around; as if seeing these surroundings for the first time. It was incredibly odd. Almost like how video games occasionally switch from characters to characters, but it's all the same player.

Wait... is that how this all works? Someone is actually playing a video of all this...?


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug, or M.A.S.H or it's characters.

Chapter 29,

"Ok, that's a lot to take in." Margaret said. Since she was the only other person who was 'seeing doubles' like him, Hawkeye figures that she deserved to know what's going on.

"So then why are we the only two who realize things aren't normal, even by our standards?" She asked the floating cat named Plagg.

"Maybe it's because you two are the only ones who were around since the first episode." Plagg suggested.

"I don't know, I mean Klinger was always around, even if we didn't always see him." Margaret said.

"Well... he does replace Radar when he goes home. He becomes the company clerk. Maybe that's it. You two are the only ones who weren't replaced." Plagg said and Hawkeye blinked.

"What do you mean?" Hawkeye asked.

"Well, Klinger replaces Radar as company clerk. Dr. Winchester replaces Frank as a surgeon/occasional antagonist. B.J. replaces Trapper as your best friend. Then there's Colonel Potter who replaced Henry." Plagg said.

"Well, what about Father Mulchay? We didn't get any new chaplains." Margaret said.

"Yeah, that's right. He wasn't replaced or anything; but he doesn't know what's going on either." Hawkeye said with a nod.

"Hmm... oh, right! He technically is a replacement too. In the very first episode, the father was played by the same actor from the mash movie. After that episode, they switched to this one, which we know and love." Plagg said.

"Ok, ok. So if our lives were a tv show, then how did it end?" Margaret asked and Plagg hesitated.

"Um. The final episode is a two hour special called 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen'. To this day it is the most watched episode of the whole series, and I don't blame them. I don't know how much detail I should go into, but overall, peace is declared. The war is over and most of you get to go home." Plagg said, hoping this didn't reveal too much. For a moment, Hawkeye and Margaret were silent. The thought of all this violence ending and being able to go back to the states was nearly overwhelming.

"I guess that means we'll all be separated." Margaret said. Hawkeye turned, stating at her like he can't stand to lose her. She only glanced at him, but it was clear she wasn't ready to lose him either.

"Plagg?" A voice mumbled. They all turned to Adrien, who was sleeping up until that point.

"Hey, bud. How are you feeling?" Plagg asked as the groggy boy sat up slowly.

"I feel like I've been hit by a truck." Adrien said. Margaret sighed and made him lay back down on the cot.

"You and Marinette, I swear. You're gonna push your bodies too fat and cause permanent damage if you don't give it a few hours of rest when it's healing." Margaret said.

"Marinette...? I want Marinette." Adrien said sleepily.

"I can get her if you want. We have some wheelchairs, we can wheel her out to the swamp." Hawkeye said.

"I'll get her, then." Margaret said.

"Wait, Wait!" Adrien grunted, making them freeze.

"She doesn't know I'm Cat Noir. I have to switch over first." Adrien insisted. He pulled his hand out of the covers and laid it on his chest. He took a moment to look at Plagg.

"Is there anything else you want to tell them before I activate you?" Adrien offered and Plagg blinked as he turned to Hawkeye.

"I know you aren't the real Mr. Alda, Hawkeye... but even though he didn't create you, you are a part of him." Plagg started.

"See, Mr. Alda was in ROTC, served at Fort Benning and did a tour of Korea years before he auditioned for the role of Hawkeye. After a few years, the original writers were replaced with more serious one's and Mr. Alda gained more control, becoming a producer and a creative consultant on the show. Many people still split the show into two eras; the Gelbart/Reynolds 'comedy years, and the Alan Alda 'dramatic years'. Though Mr. Alda disagrees with that statement and I do too. If you ask me, Mr. Alda managed to give each character more heart." Plagg paused to smile.

"He personally helped write 19 episodes, including the finale 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen'. He also directed that episode, and 31 others. He won 5 Emmy awards, and was later dubbed 'The quintessential Honorary Woman: a feminist icon', because of his strong belief in Women's rights and the entire feminist movement." Plagg looked over at Margaret.

"And I think you can see that in the way Hawkeye normally treats you. It's often overlooked by a series of jokes... but you both have tremendous respect for each other. At first it was only professional, but overtime you learned more about each other and you started respecting each other as individuals as well." Plagg said and then he chuckled.

"Sometimes Hawkeye is the only one to realize your genuinely upset about something, Margaret. And despite the way you yell and tell him off, he's still the one to go and be there for you. And when Hawkeye is feeling bad about himself, or something, you're not afraid to be honest with him. Whether that's telling him the world doesn't revolve around him, or forcing him to be sociable to get over his heartache. Romantic, or otherwise, your relationship has always been special. And for someone like me, who can literally destroy everything he touches, you should know that it was one of my favorite aspects of the show; and it meant a lot to me." Plagg said. He quickly flew over and gave both of their faces a big hug and then he went to Adrien.

"I think that's everything there is to say." Plagg said and Adrien nodded.

"Ok. Plagg, claws out." Adrien said. They they watched Plagg enter Adrien's ring, and the Cat Noir uniform expanded over Adrien's body.

"Um. I guess I'll go get Marinette now." Hawkeye said and he awkwardly left the tent. Margaret told him earlier that she had left Marinette with Klinger. He just wanted that short walk to decompress from all the emotion Plagg had displayed for them.

It was almost strange that anyone could see him, though all of his doubts, struggles, falls, depressions, and psychological issues, and still able to love him so deeply.

He wasn't Captain America fighting the Nazi's, or Ringo Kid in the Wild West, or Black Condor with the power of flight. He was just a doctor who was drafted and now he tries to save every life he can, because he knows that they'll surely die without him there. Though part of that was probably his pride talking.

"Hey, Pierce." Klinger said with a wave to the doctor when he entered the room. He was on the phone and he pointed to Marinette.

"Probably wanna check up on her, huh." Klinger said and Hawkeye nodded. He walked over and sat on the bed next to Marinette.

"Heard you tried to escape resting, earlier. Don't know why you would want to do that, though. After 28 hours in surgery, the only thing I can think to do is rest." Hawkeye said as he carefully checked her vitals.

"How do you feel?" He asked and Marinette smiled.

"Physically, fine. I can't help but be worried about my friends, though. Cat Noir got shot, which I feel responsible for, and I have no clue where Adrien is." Marinette said, dropping her gaze.

"Oh, well, Adrien is fine, don't worry about him. We put him in a safe place." Hawkeye said and Marinette sighed, making her shoulders relax.

"That's good to hear." Marinette said gratefully.

"As for Cat Noir, he's awake now and asking for you. You think you can handle a slightly bumpy wheelchair ride to the swamp." Hawkeye said. For a brief moment, Marinette's eyes widened in surprise and Hawkeye chuckled.

"The swamp is what we named our tent." He explained and Marinette nodded a little.

"I'd be happy to see Cat Noir." Marinette said and she moved the sewing box off of her lap.

"You have good timing too, she just finished working on her army jacket. She works fast, this Marinette." Klinger commented before returning to his phone call.

"Oh, yeah? Let me see." Hawkeye said. She handed him the jacket, and the first detail he noticed was the sparkly silver inner-lining.

"Wow, this looks like a fabric you used for your Carmen Miranda dress." Hawkeye said.

"It is." Klinger commented and Hawkeye's eyes widened.

"You let her go through the Klinger collection?" Hawkeye asked.

"Oh, you knew I was planning to donate most of that stuff anyways, why not let her play with it? All I asked is that she left the wedding dress alone, 'cause that's a family heirloom." Klinger said.

"But-"

"Hawk, please. I'm trying to find the eye of the storm. So Ladybug and Cat Noir can fight that Hawk Moth guy they were telling me about earlier. How often do you get the chance to help real superheroes?" Klinger said and Hawkeye sighed. He went through the double doors, grabbed one of the available wheelchairs and returned to Marinette.

"We will be in the swamp if you find what you're looking for. Little lady, your chariot for one has arrived. It is destined for the Cat of Noir, lounging in my humble abode. There, you can continue describing that lovely new jacket that you designed." Hawkeye said. With little effort, he moved Marinette from the bed to the chair and they rolled out of there. Hawkeye looked around and noticed it was fairly vacant, right now.

"Just so you know, Cat Noir had a long talk with Marinette and I, and we know everything that's going on." Hawkeye said and Marinette blinked.

"Everything...? Are you sure?" She asked.

"Are you worried about me knowing my life is a tv show?" Hawkeye asked, Marinette hesitated, but nodded.

"Are you ok?" Marinette asked.

"I'm trying to deal with it as quietly as possible, but at least I'm dealing with it." Hawkeye said.

"I mean, I'm no stranger to getting psychological help every once in a while, but if I have a breakdown, how can I help? It's my understanding that you all will fix everything in a matter of hours, and it would take Sidney days to come and fix me." Hawkeye said. They paused, just outside the swamp, and Hawkeye walked in front of her.

"Let me ask you something, real fast. You're barely a teen, and you've been placed in an incredible position where you hold the weight of thousands on your shoulders. You've been shot, and taken to an enemy camp as prisoners, and who knows what else." Hawkeye put his hands in his pockets.

"It's always brakes my heart to operate on children. Which is why, I have to ask... if you could go back in time and prevent yourself from ever becoming ladybug... would you choose to do all this over again?" Hawkeye asked. Marinette paused to think and then she sighed.

"You were drafted into the Army, right?" Marinette asked and Hawkeye blinked.

"Yes, I was." Hawkeye said.

"You didn't chose to be here. It wasn't your decision, but you still know that you make others lives better because you are here." Marinette said.

"They need me here." Hawkeye said, a little defensively.

"But if you could go back and choose not to be drafted, would you have stayed home?" Marinette asked and Hawkeye paused. He wasn't expecting her to turn the question around on him.

"Back then, absolutely. I was so terrified of going into a war zone, and possibly dying. But now I know that there's several people who wouldn't have made it, if I wasn't here. Sure I didn't want to be here, but I did a lot of good. How could I go back in time and tell myself to choose home, when so many other lives needed me to save them?" Hawkeye said and Marinette smiled at him.

"Then we understand each other. We didn't pick the lives we were given, but we help too many people to quit." Marinette said and Hawkeye couldn't help but chuckle.

"I swear that's an answer Margaret would have given me." Hawkeye muttered and he opened the door and guided Marinette in.

He moved her right over to Cat Noir and the two smiled at each other. There was no denying that these two crazy kids were mad about each other; they both lit up the second they saw each other. Those two were really meant to be together.

Note: For those of you who accidentally read the cut off version of this chapter I'm sorry. For some reason the app was giving me a lot of issues today. And thank you to sierranevadas84 for pointing it out, even though it was a little embarrassing.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Mash, or it's characters.

Chapter 30,

"I really like this silver material." Cat Noir said when Marinette showed him the jacket.

"I almost went with the gold, but I liked the silver better." Marinette said.

"Ok. And you said you got all of this stuff from that Klinger guy?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette nodded.

"Yeah. See, this pale pink fabric on the top of the chest pockets, and the trip of the pockets down here for your hands, and the pink outline on the back, are all from this light jacket Klinger had. The purple fabric on the bottom of the chest pockets, and up on the collar, are from this summer scarf he had." Marinette pointed out the fabrics as she explained it.

"So on the back, we have the rose." Cat Noir said, flipping it over.

"The rose was plucked from this white jacket he had." Marinette said.

"You have the rose, and it almost looks like it's swimming." Cat Noir said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, you have the rose. And it's not just sewn on the back of this army jacket; you laid the rose on top of this red and... what is that, orange-silver? But red and silver-ish material is under the rose and you have this pink boarder around that... so it's like a pool." He said and Marinette chuckled.

"Alright, whatever you say. I wasn't really sure how this would turn out, but I kinda like how colorful it is." Marinette said. Cat Noir smiled and returned the jacket to her.

"Have you tried it on yet?" Cat Noir asked and Marinette bit her lip.

"Not really. I've been hesitant about it, because if I hate it, then I would feel guilty for wasting Klinger's clothes like that." Marinette said, bashfully.

"Well, for what it's worth, I like it." Hawkeye said, sipping from his martini glass.

"You do?" Marinette asked, suspiciously and Hawkeye nodded.

"Yeah, you know, once the shock wore off; I think it's nice. Who knows, maybe when your world gets back to normal, you can create your own Klinger collection." Hawkeye said.

"I've loved the Army since my days as an innocent little army brat, moving from base to base. And though this modern Take seems a little blasphemous to me, I think it's nice to see other young women taking an interest in military attire." Margaret said, and Marinette smiled warmly at them. She leaned forward and slipped on the jacket, fastening three of the middle buttons before folding the ends of her sleeves, to really showcase that silver.

"Beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous!" Hawkeye said boisterously. He set down his drink, rushed over to Marinette and pretended his hands were a camera.

"Alright darling, look this way. Ah, wonderful; would you like me to send the prints to your house? Oh, forget it, these will be all over the papers before you can say 'back off, I'm a superhero'." Hawkeye said as he pretended he was taking her picture and she laughed at him.

"Ah, yes. Back off I'm a superhero, but first, how about a few super model poses." Marinette said in a deep voice, making everyone laugh.

"Yes, baby, yes. Work it, work it. Give me a scowl. Now a smirk. How about a look of disappointment? Ah, wonderful, you look just like Margaret." Hawkeye said and Margaret rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, Pierce, can't you ever be serious?" She asked. Hawkeye and Marinette chuckled as they stopped playing.

"Ah, come on, Margaret; I'm serious when I need to be. It's almost as rare as you being silly and making jokes." Hawkeye said.

"I can be funny if I want to be- I can be very funny." Marinette said.

"I know you can be, Ms. Chuckles; let's not forget that I just happen to think that you are hilarious. My point is that you would rather be seen like some heartless, regular-Army statue, instead of the surprisingly warm and loving person I know you to be." Hawkeye said and Margaret huffed.

"You think you know everything about me, well why don't we point that magnifying glass on yourself, Mr. Serious? You have always been afraid of commitment, you're afraid to show people that you are vulnerable, so you make jokes to hide behind. Jokes that are only occasionally funny, because you rarely put in the effort to put some actual thought into them. You love to say the first thing on your mind, be it joke, insult, anecdote, or off comment, but so rarely do you speak the raw truth. You are an amazing doctor and you have a deep appreciation for the life it holds. But other then that, you can be such a coward." Margaret said.

"You can't have it both ways, Margaret." Hawkeye said and she paused.

"Excuse me?" She asked with clear annoyance.

"I said 'you can't have it both ways'. No, I can't be a lion AND a clown, that's just ridiculous. What's my first act; hypnotizing the lion tamer?" Hawkeye said and Margaret sighed deeply.

"You know, I don't know why I-"

"Clown?" Marinette blinked and she straightened her back.

"That's right, I have something to tell you." Marinette said to Cat Noir and her voice silenced their argument.

"What is it?" Cat Noir asked.

"When I was in the office, I saw something really strange in the room beside me." Marinette started, Hawkeye and Margaret walked closer to her.

"You mean, the post-op?" Margaret asked and Marinette nodded.

"Yeah. I saw this evil looking clown and he was screaming at the nurses; saying 'you'll float too' over and over." She continued.

This sounded familiar to Cat Noir and he furrowed his eyebrow as he contemplated her words. When realization stuck him, he gave a weak groan, and he reached over and held Marinette's hand sweetly.

"Milady, I think you are so incredibly smart, but when all of this is said and done, please, please, please, watch some horror movies." Cat Noir begged and Marinette was shocked by this response.

"What?" She asked and Cat Noir chuckled.

"That's got to be Pennywise, the killer clown from the movie IT. Sounds like it's the one from the remake, but it's been so long since I saw the original. I only saw it once because I hated the ending that much. I don't remember if the original talked about floating or not." Cat Noir said and Marinette blinked slowly.

"Pennywise, interesting. And earlier I saw Michael, Jason, and that Freddy guy." She said.

"You're right, Cat Noir... they're all horror movie icons. That, plus we are in a M.A.S.H unit... and earlier, when the clown was throwing a fit, he had this green diamond above his head, like he was a video game character." Marinette said and then her eyes widened.

"I know whose akumatized." Marinette said and Cat Noir leaned slightly on his good shoulder.

"Who?" He asked.

"Do you remember when we fought Christmaster?" Marinette asked and his eyes widened.

"You think Chris is akumatized again?" He asked and Marinette nodded.

"Earlier, Alya was on the phone with Nino; he's Chris' older brother. She was talking to him because he didn't like how upset Chris was this morning. She said Chris was upset because he couldn't watch Mash, or watch scary movies, or play first person shooter games. Then all of a sudden she heard the words 'you're drafted' and the line went dead." Marinette stated.

"Well, that does kinda lineup with everything that came to life. But if that's true, then where is Chris now?" Cat Noir said.

"When he was Christmaster, he was floating above the city. He wasn't a part of the action directly, instead he had a bunch of toys to do the fighting for him. I think he's at his home, locked away and playing this whole thing like a video game. He can either be a soldier and play as a regular first person shooter; or as a horror movie icon, trying to kill soldier and civilian alike, or he can play as a doctor and try to save some of the soldiers from dying." Marinette said and Cat Noir whistled.

"Then what about the whole 'you're drafted' bit?" Cat Noir asked.

"As much as it pains me, he's probably turned some of the Parisians into mindless video game characters. Before we leave the mash, we should probably stop by post-if to see if I'm right or not." Marinette said and Cat Noir sighed.

"How old is this Chris child?" Margaret asked and Marinette turned towards her.

"He's in the 'I'm a big kid' phase." She said.

"Really? That puts him at about 5 years old." Hawkeye said and Marinette nodded.

"Yep." She said and Hawkeye ran a hand through his hair.

"I can't believe we have a war on our hands, just because a kid is wanting to grow up too fast." Hawkeye said and Margaret put a hand on his shoulder. Then, in the silence, they heard feet shuffling up to the swamp, and Klinger entered without knocking.

"Great news, I- hey the jacket looks great kid." Klinger said, patting Marinette on her shoulder.

"What's you're news Klinger?" Margaret asked.

"Oh, right. You wanted me to find the eye in the storm, Marinette, and baby I found it. I wrote out the directions for you, and I got a Jeep all ready for you to go, when you are." Klinger said, handing the directions to Cat Noir; who slipped them in his pocket.

"I think I'd like to check up on the patients first." Marinette said and Klinger smiled.

"Sure, you probably want to check up on that driver that cane with you." Klinger said. Marinette's eyes widened as she remembered Adrien's bodyguard; in the same token, Cat Noir hung his head at how foolish he was in forgetting his bodyguard was injured.

"We'll be there in a minute." Hawkeye said and Klinger turned to leave when Marinette remembered something.

"Hang on, Klinger." She said, making him stop. She smiled at him, and then turned to Cat Noir.

"May I borrow your baton again?" She asked and he didn't hesitate to hand it over.

"What are you doing?" Margaret asked and Marinette extended the baton, before she used it as a walking stick and cautiously stood up.

"Klinger was so excited about the fact that we are heroes. I sorta told him that I would show him my Ladybug costume." Marinette explained, before opening her purse for Tikki to come out, and the little kwami did.

"Klinger, I want to thank you for that delicious piece of Nammoura you shared with me earlier." Tikki said and Klinger chuckled.

"Oh, anything for you, sweetie." Klinger said and they gently shook hands.

"I also want to thank you two medical professionals for patching up Marinette and Cat Noir. I will be forever grateful." She said.

"You're welcome." Margaret said.

"All in a day's work." Hawkeye said and the kwami went back over to Marinette.

"Tikki, spots on." Marinette said and her costume formed over her body; though she couldn't do her normal routine with her damaged leg.

"Wow, I've seen everything." Klinger said as Marinette sat back in the wheelchair and returned the baton to Cat Noir.

"How about you, kitty?" Ladybug said, still a little nervous about him knowing her secret.

"Spots on, or slots off, you're still milady." Cat Noir said and Ladybug tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Ok..." she said with a bashful smile on her face.

"Think you're ready to walk around?" She asked. Cat Noir was a little hesitant, but considering the fact that Marinette walked right after she was shot, then apparently, right after her surgery, he could walk too: he sat up, stood up and smiled at the girl.

"Ready when you are." Cat Noir said and Ladybug giggled. The five briskly strolled into post-op, and they looked around the various soldiers.

"Klinger." A voice called him and he sighed.

"Duty calls. If I don't see you later, safe travels, alright." Klinger said before going into the office.

"See anyone you recognize?" Hawkeye whispered to Ladybug as he slowly pushed her into the room. Ignoring the clown from earlier, she noticed Adrien's bodyguard, second bed in. It was odd, he still looked tough and mean, even when he was sedated.

"Well, we came in with him." Ladybug muttered and she looked around some more. On the right, five beds in, she did recognize someone.

"Her, that's my teacher, Ms. Bustier." Ladybug said quietly and Hawkeye reached over and looked at her medical chart.

"Bomb exploded next to her, and she got a bunch of shrapnel in her leg. She's lucky though, she gets to keep it." Hawkeye said. Then Car Noir's sensitive ears heard a soft tender voice singing and he turned towards the end of the hospital.

"Milady, that's Chloe and Luka." Cat Noir said and the group went over to them.

"I'm Dr. Pierce. Wanna tell me what happened?" Hawkeye asked. Chloe had bandages over her eyes, and Luka's hands were wrapped up tight. Luke stopped singing to answer the doctor, but he still kept a firm hold of Chloe's hand.

"Grenade landed right in front of us. I jumped to save Chloe, but she still got hit in the face." Luka said. Chloe sniffled and turned her head towards Luka.

"I might be blind, but you still sacrificed your hands to save my life. There's a chance this blindness is temporary for me, but you... you may never play music again." Chloe choked out. Luka smiled at her, leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her hand.

"She was a little scared when she woke up, so I started singing to calm her down." Luka said and Chloe smiled softly and sniffed.

"You should have seen him when that nurse tried to separate us. I wish I could have seen it, but Luka refuses to back down." Chloe said and Pierce smiled at them.

"It's alright, kids; no one is gonna separate you." Hawkeye said.

"What did you two do before you were drafted?" Margaret asked.

"Oh I was-um... I was...?" Chloe said, but it was blear she couldn't remember.

"I sorta recall playing guitar, somewhere... then... I was drafted." Luka said.

"Alright, just relax, soldiers. I'll have nurse Kellye bring you some water and take your temperatures." Margaret said, walking over to the nurse in the corner.

Hawkeye then escorted the two heroes out of the building. But before they left Cat Noir saw Chloe giving Luka's hand a gentle squeeze; causing Luka to wince yet smile before he resumed his singing.

Outside, there was a Jeep, just like Klinger promised.

"Well, I guess you were right, milady." Cat Noirsaid and Ladybug nodded.

"Yeah. And since Klinger found out where we need to go; I guess we should make our way there and fight Chris." Ladybug said.

"Hold it, hold it. Do you two really think that you're ready to fight in combat, just like that?" Hawkeye said, snapping for emphasis.

"I don't think we have much choice in the matter. How are we suppose to win if we don't fight?" Cat Noir said.

"Well, he's a little kid, surely you could talk to him, or put him in timeout, or stick him in a car seat and drive around until he falls asleep." Hawkeye said.

"Don't be ridiculous." They turned to see Margaret walking out of the hospital and over to them.

"It's a hero's job to fight for the greater good, regardless of who their enemy might be." Margaret said and Hawkeye scoffed at her.

"All I'm saying is that-"

"AND it is a doctor's job to take care of their patients; same as nurses." Margaret said and Hawkeye froze at her words. After a brief moment of silence, he smiled widely and gave her forehead a quick kiss.

"You are a genius." Hawkeye said and she smiled.

"I know." Margaret said and Ladybug bit her lip nervously.

"You want to come with us?" Ladybug asked and Hawkeye shrugged.

"I don't think we have much choice; how else are we suppose to make sure you kids stay ok? Besides, ignoring the fact you two are too young to drive, how do you expect to get past all of the military check points; let alone attempt to follow Klinger's directions." Hawkeye said.

"Can you defend yourselves?" Cat Noir asked.

"I have my mother's gun. Dad gave it to her on their wedding night." Margaret said.

"Oh, do you have to carry a gun?" Hawkeye asked.

"I don't understand why you don't carry a gun, Pierce- the enemy will not hesitate to shoot, even if we are in the medical field. I wish I could just order you to carry a gun." Margaret said and Hawkeye took a deep breath.

"Look Margaret; I'll heal their wounds, treat their wounds, bind their wounds, but I will not inflict their wounds. You can't order people according to your own specifications. You gotta take them as they are. I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to old Virginia, I'll even 'Hari Kari' if you teach me how, but I will not carry a gun!" Hawkeye said firmly.

"Fine." Margaret said, rolling her eyes.

"Let's get going." Ladybug said, not wanting to waste another moment. The four of them climbed onto the Jeep, including the wheelchair being placed at Ladybug's feet, and Margaret took off towards the belly of the beast.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or Mash or their characters... or the quotes/song.

Chapter 31,

**When you go to war as a boy, you have a great illusion of immortality. Other people get killed, not you... then, when you are badly wounded the first time, you lose that illusion, and you know it can happen to you.**

Hawkeye loved reading Hemingway before he was drafted. More accurately, he still loves Hemingway; what he didn't like was the occasional romantic notion he had for war. Like when he said ' **when you loveyou wish to do things for. You wish to sacrifice for. You wish to serve** ' ' **the coward dies a thousand deaths, but the brave dies once** ' ' **the world breaks everyone and afterwards, some find strength in those broken places** '.

No...

Ernest was more accurate when he said ' **they wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason** '.

Hawkeye watched as the action around then grew heavier. The brutality of man mixed with the heart's concern for all that pain and suffering. Bullets being fired from their slumber, leaving their chambers just to penetrate man's unsuspecting skin and turn his blood from unoxygenated blue to oxygen-filled red.

Large explosions were often worse. If it didn't kill you, it could rob you of something that leaves you wishing for death. So many people have lost their limbs, sights, hearing and overall will to live.

When they passed a Jeep that was on fire, Hawkeye was reminded of old Francis Scott Key. Francis was a successful attorney who was trying to free Dr. William Beanes, who was captured by British soldiers in the war of 1812. After Fort McHenry was attacked by British soldiers, he watched the battle but more importantly, he saw the American Flag rise up and it inspired him. He was so inspired he started writing a song called 'Defence of Fort M'Henry'

Later he renamed it 'The Star-Spangled Banner' which became the national anthem of America in 1931. Though most people he knows songs the first verse instead of all four.

_Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light_

_What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?_

_Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,_

_O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?_

_And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,_

_Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there._

_Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave_

_O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?_

Well, the rocket's red glare were roaring to life in this battle, as well as the ill-timed bombs exploding in the air and raining metal and ash upon the soldiers below.

_On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,_

_Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,_

_What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,_

_As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?_

_Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,_

_In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:_

_‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave_

_O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!_

"How are they doing?" Margaret asked Hawkeye. He turned to the kids in the backseat.

It was clear that they were trying to be strong for each other. When he first met Marinette and Adrien, they were clinging to each other, only letting go when he suggested that they were a couple. And now that they were in their superhero suits, instead of clinging to each other, they were leaning against each other and holding hands. All the while trying not to let this destruction fall into their hearts.

"They're battling though the emotional distraught of seeing their home crumble before their eyes by the friends and family they hold so dear." Hawkeye told her and Margaret sighed deeply.

"I know that look. I've seen it on so many South Korean faces. I swear, I think I even saw it on a newborn's face once." Margaret said and Hawkeye looked away.

_And where is that band who so vauntingly swore_

_That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,_

_A home and a country should leave us no more!_

_Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution._

_No refuge could save the hireling and slave_

_From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:_

_And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave_

_O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!_

And then, from the horizon, grew a dark looming tower that seemed to be a beacon of destruction.

"Don't tell me... they only have one room and we all have to share a bed." Cat Noir said.

"Cat, please, this is serious." Ladybug complained. Hawkeye and Margaret looked at each other.

"They sound like us." Margaret said.

"No kidding; you stole my joke." Hawkeye said to Cat Noir and Margaret rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Pierce." She said.

"What?" He asked and she smirked at his behavior. They drove up to the tower and Margaret slowed the Jeep to a stop and Hawkeye stood up and looked around.

"What do you see?" Ladybug said and Hawkeye hesitated.

"I see some soldier... I think they're soldiers, at least. They are walking around the building, guarding it." Hawkeye said.

"Do you see some sort of loading dock?" Margaret asked and Hawkeye nodded.

"Sort of, yeah. I see some delivery trucks in that far corner there. Oh man, you know that's a kid. He's ordering a bunch of ice cream and soda." Hawkeye said.

"Maybe we could pretend to be a delivery truck and sneak on that way." Marinette suggested and Margaret bit her lip.

"That might work. Often times, delivery workers are overlooked." Margaret said.

"Yeah, but that's one of the oldest tricks in the book. Chris is bound to recognize it." Cat Noir said.

"Perhaps, but he's also playing video games and war games or whatever. He may not be paying attention to the rest of his building. However, even though he may not be paying attention to the security of his building, that doesn't mean he doesn't have other to secure the building." Hawkeye said.

_Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand_

_Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!_

_Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land_

_Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation._

"Trespassers!" A soldier said and before they were surrounded by soldiers.

"Ugh, again?" Ladybug groaned and she looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Alya.

"This is ridiculous, I call parlay." Hawkeye said and Margaret glared at him.

"Pierce, you idiot, that's for pirates." Margaret said and Hawkeye scoffed.

"Then I want Army-parlay." Hawkeye said.

"What are you talking about?" Soldier Alya said and Hawkeye put his hands on his hips.

"It's temporary protection so that I can talk to your boss; and not do I have some words to say to him." Hawkeye said.

"He's still a kid." Cat Noir reminded him and Hawkeye sighed.

"Major General Chris is not to be disturbed!" Soldier Alya said firmly.

"How High is that?" Hawkeye asked Margaret quietly.

"He outrank Colonel Potter's boss." Margaret answered and Hawkeye nodded.

"And what outranks Major General again?" Hawkeye whispered.

"Lieutenant General and General of the Army." Margaret answered.

"Well tell Chris that the Lieutenant General doesn't appreciate everything he's been doing today." Hawkeye said and Soldier Alya scoffed.

"How would you know; you're only a captain." Soldier Alya said and she gave the signal to detain them.

"Well, I still want to talk to Chris- uh, HEY!" Pierce protested when they grabbed him.

"I will not go down quietly, do you hear me!" Pierce shouted as they were arrested.

" _Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just_." Pierce sang and Margaret recognizedit as the end of The Star-Spangled Banner.

" _And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust'_ , come on, Margaret, sing with me." Hawkeye said as they were dragged inside the building.

" _And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!_ " Hawkeye and Margaret sang together; terribly, but together.

They were taken to an unknown floor and were put into two cells. Hawkeye and Cat Noir in one cell, and Ladybug and Margaret in the next one. And as Ladybug looked around the stark white room, stripped of windows and benches, just a single camera in the corner of the room; she scoffed and limped over to the cell door.

"You could have let him talk to Major General Chris, you know." Ladybug said to Alya when she passed by the door.

"I don have to let him do anything." Alya said. Ladybug was silent for a moment and then she took a deep breath and her features softened.

"Alya, you're a good person. I know that you care very deeply for Nino and his family." Ladybug said and Alya's eyes widened slowly.

"Deep down, you know something's not right. And we are here to make things right again." Ladybug said and Alya furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation.

"Well... I'll do my best to get the Captain to the Major General; but just the Captain since he asked." Alya said and Ladybug smiled at her.

"All I can ask you to do is your best." Ladybug said and Alya walked away, feeling confused.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug or it's characters.

Chapter 32,

Ladybug and Margaret were sitting on the floor of their cell, though it felt more like a padded room in an insane asylum- just without the padding. Ladybug was trying to come up with a plan, but she just couldn't think of anything.

"You know, sometimes talking helps." Margaret said and Ladybug paused to look at her.

"I know. It's just normally I'm creative enough without it." Ladybug said and Margaret smiled.

"You know, they say that geniuses have a few traits in common. Some seem rather obvious, like they are constantly thinking and have a curious nature and love for learning. But there are some traits that almost seem counterintuitive." Margaret said and Ladybug blinked.

"For one thing, they are more willing to admit when they don't know something. They are more open-minded and willing to listen to someone else's point of view. They are sensitive to someone else's thoughts and feelings. They tend to have a great sense of humor.

"But then they tend to procrastinate on things, especially more trivial tasks more often then not, because they are working on something else of more relevance to them. Because they are constantly thinking, it's hard to shut off their brains at night, so they become night owls, simply because they can't fall sleep. And then, their personal spaces tend to be messy. For some reason a more messy environment can cause a person to be more creative, and in turn, you will be more preoccupied with your thoughts and projects to really clean up your space again." Margaret said and Ladybug shifted. Well, if the messiness thing is true, then I guess that explains why I'm having a hard time coming up with something in here." Ladybug gestures and Margaret smiled.

"My point exactly. If you're a creative person then it might be hard to think of something in a room like this." Margaret said and Ladybug sighed.

"I would probably be able to think of something if Cat Noir we're here with me." Ladybug said and Margaret smirked at her.

"Cat Noir is rather special to you; isn't he?" She asked and Ladybug nodded.

"Can I be honest with you?" Ladybug asked.

"I'm a nurse. I've sworn to patient confidentiality as well. And I did operate on your leg after all." Margaret said and Ladybug smiled.

"I always trusted Cat Noir and I always appreciated his friendship. It's just..." she hesitated, unsure how to describe herself.

"You're starting to see Cat Noir as something more?" Margaret asked and Ladybug rubbed the back of her neck bashfully.

"I kinda feel conflicted. Because I was kind of in love with someone else. And somehow I feel like I'm now in love with both of them. It's odd for me because I know Cat Noir is in love with me. Well, I know that he's in love with Ladybug, but I'm not sure if he loves Ma... me. Maybe he only loves my alter-ego because he knows I'm Ladybug. And as for Adrien, you know I didn't even like him at first. I thought he was a jerk, and then... when it was just the two of us... he gave me his umbrella in a heavy downpour. Being a model, I expected him to care exclusively about his clothes and hair... and instead... he let himself get soaked to the bone just so I could stay dry." Ladybug smiled at the memory of Adrien's sweet laughter.

"So you like Adrien and Cat Noir?" Margaret asked and Ladybug nodded.

"Adrien and I might be on rocky grounds right now, but I do still love him. He is friends with Chloe and he's just as rich and famous as she is; actually probably more so. You don't expect him to be so selfless and caring and accepting of others; but he is." Ladybug pulled her legs to her chest.

"My feelings for Cat Noir are a bit more recent. He's always acting silly and making jokes at the wrong time, but... he's probably seen me at my worst. I've yelled at him, argued with him, fought against him, and every once in a while I will use him in order to save the day. And yet he still trusts me, beyond a shadow of a doubt... and he still loves and believes in me." Ladybug said and Margaret nodded.

"I can see the appeal." She admitted.

"They both have such amazing hearts. I think that's what really made me fall for the both of them." Ladybug said and Margaret smiled.

"You know, it's a little different, but it makes me think of Pierce." Margaret said.

"How so?" Ladybug asked and Margaret shrugged.

"In my mind, there are two separate personalities. One is Hawkeye, who is loud and boisterous and funny; but the other is Dr. Pierce, who is extremely dedicated and caring towards his patients. Hawkeye is the type of guy to walk from his tent to the mess tent, naked, just to prove that no one will notice. Then you have Dr. Pierce who will sleep beside a patient he's worried about- just in case they need him." Margaret said and Ladybug smiled.

"It's almost difficult to imagine, but he does seem to act like Adrien and Cat Noir." Ladybug said and Margaret nodded.

"You know I've dated several men since I've been here, even got married once, but it ended badly. But, for the most part, Hawkeye and I were only friends. We've gone to the front together, operated together, survived shellings and psychological issues. And in my own way... I kinda love him. It's just, I always rationalized this as my adoration for Dr. Pierce because Hawkeye, himself, had a tendency to drive me crazy. Besides, I tend to become attracted to men of higher rank and Pierce is only a Captain, whereas I am a Major." Margaret said and Ladybug furrowed her eyebrow.

"Well, rank isn't everything." Ladybug said and Margaret nodded.

"I know that. But sometimes I can't help my attraction. And that's another reason why I often dismiss my own feelings for Pierce. I wasn't attracted to him at first. At times, I got so angry at myself for finding his stupid jokes humorous, or his determination in OR appealing, or loving the fireworks I felt when he kisses me." Margaret said and Ladybug stared at her.

"Sounds like you might be in love with Hawkeye." Ladybug said and Margaret smiled.

"I don't know. In the past, I was so sure I was in love and I just got hurt. If I was wrong about Pierce then I would not only lose a love interest, but I would also lose a very dear friendship." Margaret said and Ladybug bit her lip.

"Well. Considering that you'll both... leave... once all this is over. It seems to me that it's better to go and risk it, then to leave wondering... if you could have had it all." Ladybug said and Margaret sighed heavily.

"We'll see, but we were talking about you after all." Margaret said.

"Hey, you started talking about Hawkeye." Ladybug said and Margaret smiled.

"Only because my relationship with him is similar to your relationship with them." Margaret said and Ladybug chuckled.

"I still don't know which one I should pick, though. You have no idea how close I came to kissing Cat Noir as myself. What if I kiss him and I end up choosing Adrien? Then again, what if I pick Adrien, but all I can think of is being with Cat Noir?" Ladybug asked and Margaret paused.

"Maybe you shouldn't think of it as 'picking' one over the other. Many times in one's life, you'll find a partner and they will know exactly what to say or do to win your heart. But then those same people feel like, because they won your heart, they have won you forever. As humans, we all need to work on this type of thinking 'oh, they know I love them, so I don't need to do anything'. The thing that perhaps more of us need to learn, is that keeping someone is so much harder then simply trying to win them. It's not easy to continuously love someone that's hurt you, or disagrees with you, or has stop trying to impress you. And when you feel like that, it's easy to get angry at the little things and walk away from the relationship entirely; oftentimes without communicating accurately our feelings of disappointment." Margaret said.

"I suppose that's true." Ladybug said.

"Listen, kid. You have plenty of time in your life to worry about... what it means to be in a loving relationship, and being a good partner. As for Adrien and Cat Noir, I would say that you should take your time. Spend time with them both, talk to them both, listen to them both, and... maybe you'll end up surprising yourself." Margaret said and Ladybug smiled softly.

"Perhaps." Ladybug said and they sighed.

For a moment they were silent and Ladybug remembered the way Margaret sang with Pierce before. It was almost out of place for Margaret to do that, but perhaps she was more willing to do so, because it was Pierce who asked her to do so.

Then Ladybug wondered if it was odd for her to get relationship advice from someone who wasn't real. But then, she also seemed to understand her situation more then others.

"What do you think you're gonna do, if the soldier lets Pierce talk to the Major General?" Margaret asked and Ladybug groaned.

"I wish I knew. I wish I could just talk to Cat Noir, but I can't fly through walls." Ladybug said and Margaret blinked.

"What about your little red friend?" Margaret asked and Ladybug bit her lip.

"Tikki can go through walls, but I would need to transform in order to do that, and even though Kwami's can't be filmed or photographed, it would reveal my secret identity, which I can't do." Ladybug said and Margaret looked at the camera.

"If I put you on my shoulders, I think we can cover it up with my jacket." Margaret said.

"But won't they just come here the second we cover it up?" Ladybug said.

"Maybe, but with enough time you can transform back." Margaret said.

"I don't want to risk that." Ladybug said Margaret stared at her and her eyes widened.

"You're kinda small when you hold your legs together, like that." She commented and she removes her jacket and holds it up to Ladybug.

"I bet you can hide under this and no one will see you transform. If anything, they will think you're trying to sleep." Margaret said and Ladybug smiled.

"I think you're right." Ladybug said and together they covered her up with the jacket.

"Any part of me showing?" Ladybug asked and Margaret looked her over.

"Your toes are barely showing, but the rest of you is concealed." Margaret said and Ladybug took a deep breath.

"That's good enough. Spots off."


End file.
